After years in the shadows, Ethiopian giants Saint George (Kidus Giorgis) aim for the BetKing Premier League's top.
This is a story about Ethiopian football and its most prestigious football club. Like many empires before, Saint George of Addis Ababa has experienced a dramatic fall. Now the club is looking at rising once more from the ashes of defeat. Like many other episodes in the club’s history, great challenges await in the path to Ethiopian football glory.
The yellow and red empire from Addis Ababa is on a quest to return to the club’s glory days (Photo: Hatricksport)
The Biggest Club in Ethiopia
Saint George S.C. is one of the biggest clubs in East Africa.
It was established in 1935 by Ayele Atnash and George Dukas, a Greek foreign citizen. At the time, the winds of change were blowing through Mangisto Ityopia, the Ethiopian Empire. It experienced foreign invasion and colonization for the first time by Mussolini’s fascist regime. The Italo-Ethiopian war spanned a few years, making Saint George a symbol of Ethiopian nationalism, representing the country's quest for freedom.
The club’s influence on the Ethiopian national movement was so great that the Italian regime formed a propaganda squad whose entire purpose was to defeat Saint George and demoralize its supporters. The games between the two teams often saw more punches thrown among players, than passes of the ball were complete. The former Ethiopian national anthem, Ethiopia hoy des Yebelesh" (Rejoice Ethiopia) was written by two of the club’s supporters.
Saint George early days. The club’s influence on the national movement was imminent. (Photo: Saint George official website)
Overcoming obstacles and breaking new grounds became an integral part of the club’s identity throughout the years. Saint George became the first Ethiopian side, and one of the first in Africa to inaugurate a youth academy. The club’s facility, a $3m construction, is situated in Bishoftu town, just outside Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. It is named after former Saint George’s and CAF president, Yidnekachew Tessema. Tessema is often referred to as the father of Ethiopian football.
The ultra-modern academy, which meets both CAF and FIFA standards, boasts a wide variety of facilities - among them two international standard pitches and a dormitory for young talents from all over the country. The academy aims to nurture homegrown talents, as the first team has an influx of foreign players in its ranks. During the COVID-19-struck 2020, the youth team played a major role in the first squad’s pre-season camp.
Saint George, The Horsemen, have started constructing their stadium in Addis Ababa a while back to allow more fans to attend the matches and facilities. The enormous cost of 312 million ETB (Ethiopian Birr) will be mostly covered by Ethiopian billionaire Sheik Hussien Ali Alamuddin, while the club's supporters will cover the rest.
The club has always served as an icon in the fight against racism and is highly popular with millions of fans all over the country. Therefore, it’s quite common to see full, overcrowded stands in home games. This has been particularly hard during the pandemic when only a handful of spectators, if any, were allowed inside the stadium. Pandemic or not, the fans are still one of the club’s biggest assets and what they are most known for, the yellow and red flags are, in a sense, a secondary flag for the whole country.
Colours that represent more than a football team. Saint George’s badge (Photo: Hatricksport)
Three years without a title
As the club who’s won the most league titles (29), winning the league with a narrow margin is something the fans struggle to accept. To make things even worse for them, the club is experiencing a title drought of more than three years without winning a silverware.
One of the reasons for the lack of trophies is the increase in the number of clubs competing for the Ethiopian title, and that Saint George has been inconsistent in their on-field performance. The management also failed to recruit managers enough time before seasons’ kickoffs, leaving the club in a state of shock and dismay seasons-in, season-out. Serbian coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Serdejovic has been phenomenal for Saint George in a couple of cadencies between 2004 and 2010, making waves in both the local and continental scene. Unfortunately, the club has not been able to find a replacement of the same calibre since his departure.
Saint George has tried three different coaches in the past three years to return to the victorious path. Besides, they put their money on foreign and local talent, failing to strike gold year after year. The relative failure did not only displease the fans but also put pressure on the management and players. Former Kaiser Chiefs’ head coach, Ernest Midendorp, who took over earlier this year, left the club before it even started. Interim coach David Maher is in charge, for now, and he’s relying on a terrific front line trio: Abel Yalew, Getaneh Kebede And Gadisa Mebrate, A.K.A the AGEGA trio.
An interim coach that stepped upon the challenge. David Maher (Photo: Hatricksport)
In AGEGA we trust
The three fast and promising Saint George’s attackers were involved in 85% of the team’s goals this season. Getaneh Kebede, who previously played in South Africa for Bidvest Wits, has netted seven goals in just ten games. That’s already more than his six goals in 17 games tally of last season.
Kebede’s partner for the Saint George’s attack, is Abel Yalew, one of the fastest players in the BetKing Ethiopian Premier League. Although he is a forward, his main contribution is creating chances for his teammates. So far, he has produced seven assists, including a hat-trick of assists in one game. "A young player who never gives up,” said Mensur Abdulkeni, notable Ethiopian football journalist, describing Yalew. “A player with a very diligent mind, fast and tireless", he concluded. Yalew suffered a slight injury in the famous Sheger Derby of Addis Ababa against Ethiopia Bunna and missed a couple of games. It was apparent that in his absence, Saint George was struggling to find the net.
The third part of the AGEGA gang is Gadissa Mebrate. Mebrate is admired for his quick movement on the field. He already scored two goals this season, including one goal in the Sheger Derby which Saint George managed to lose somehow, for the second time this season. Along with his pitch skills, Mebrate is a social asset in the dressing room, often boosting the team spirit before Kickoffs and arranging social activities.
While enjoying a strong frontline, Saint George struggles in defence. Until matchday 8, they conceded in every game. If they can improve their defensive structure for the coming matches, and the AGEGA trio will continue its positive form, there is no reason that Ethiopia’s first football club will not be able to win the league after three long years.
Saint George is depended on their ability to produce magic. Abel Yalew, Getaneh Kebede And Gadisa Mebrate, A.K.A the AGEGA trio (Photo: Hatricksport)
The Ethiopian Empire Returns?
Unlike the old days, taking the title in 2021 will not be a walk in the park for Saint George.
These days, other rivals can stand up to The Horsemen, seeking the glory of a championship. Take Hadiya Hosaena for instance, a club struggling in the relegation zone last year; This season, it’s running in second place after a very successful and productive transfer window. League leaders Fasil Kenema, The Emperors, a club that has been on the verge of winning the title a few times in recent years, seem to be heading down the right path to getting their hands on the title. Saint George’s arch-rival, Ethiopia Bunna, is also a strong contender after the club's “Ball Possession” philosophy finally clicked, yielding generous fruit this year.
This season was the first time Ethiopian Premier League matches were broadcast live on Supersport, the leading African sports network. Perhaps this year, in front of millions of spectators all across the continent, Saint George will end their 3-year drought and bring home the title yet once again.
Kidus Yoftahe is an Ethiopian football journalist, covering football in Ethiopia for various publications.
Cover photo by Hatrciksport.net.
