EDITORIAL:

Its absurd and ironical at the kind of vitriol and name calling targeting the Ethiopian national team Walia Ibex and coach Mariano Barreto after the 1-2 loss to Algeria.

It’s a shame to take note that a section of so called sports journalists have gathered wits to ensure they kill the team spirit even in a crucial moment when the team basically needs support and no condemnation by ensuring they mis-inform the public to get negative milage .

To put matters straight Soka25east.com does not hold forte for anyone but its important to make observations that are critical to the well being of Walia players ,the technical bench and the federation.

Halloooo Algeria is the number one team in Africa and the best African team that participated with a great performance at the World Cup and did the said journalists expect Ethiopia to drub the Dessert Foxes in Addis?Please spare me this thought and give credit where its due Walia Ibex played exceptionally well against a tough team and no other than Algerian coach Christian Gourcuff personally attributed this fact in an exclusive interview with Soka25east.com saying he was so impressed with Ethiopia and at one time was afraid in the first half after wave after wave of attack as Walia Ibex fired from all cylinders.

The big question is when will the so called sports journalist understand patriotism and for once give the team the support that they need through positive critism?

First lets face very straight forward facts that have contributed to the negativity of some of the Ethiopin journalists who are hell bent in misleading the public in unprofessional manner just because they have an avenue to express their selfish thoughts.

1.How do you call yourself a sports journalists yet you have skewed opinion and openly support particular team in the league?The said journalists have their allegiance to some of the Ethiopian premier league teams and if certain players they communicate with are not called up or are dropped the said journalists cause a ruckus  by calling the coach names just because their preferred players are not in the team.

2.It is a well known secret that some journalists were advocating for some particular coach to be appointed as Walia Head coach but after EFF reneged the said journalists have gone full throttle even on national television purporting to criticize coach Mariano Barreto’s tactics as if they can themselves be coaches hell no that cannot be condoned in today’s football.

3.How do you expect players to perform when you openly just before a very important game like Algeria cast aspirations on them by calling them names?When it became evident coach Mariano Barreto has settled on youngsters Natnael Zeleke and Taddele Mengesha there was hue and cry from a section of the journalists but alas after the match they had to bite humble pie as the players proved themselves and really impressed against Algeria.

4.A very important event  happened in Ethiopian football after so many years when the team went to Brazil for a two week tour to prepare for the Afcon games.Please tell me who on earth could pay a five star hotel,five star training facilities and great condition for the footballers for free?EFF in conjuction with Mariano Barreto’s agent Mario Texeira undertook this very expensive venture that even top team cannot afford but instead of the same being praised and given accolades the same disgruntled sports journalists saw nothing but negativity in this important venture surely how do you impress such characters out to destroy Ethiopian football?

Its important to take note that the morale of both coach Mariano Barreto and the players has dipped due to the unwarrantred negative critism hell bent at causing discontent inside the team while the same journalists bask in glory using their information media to kill the spirits of so many passionate Ethiopian fans who have stood strong by the team by giving their own skewed personal opinions .

Its very wrong and criminal for certain journalists to have vested interests in the team and pretend to be analyst some going overboard to ask silly questions like why was the coach Mariano Barreto not shouting to the players from the dug out?

Ohh please spare the Ethiopian fans this kind of arrogance and self defeatist attitude coach Mariano Barreto is a professional coach who has handled top sides across the World going to the touchline to shout and create scenes is not applicable to today’s football as long as the players were taught different tactics during training sessions.

Its important to take note that Ethiopia has very talented players who need a peace of mind to perform at the highest level and to be sincere even if Jose Morinho is brought to take over Walia Ibex and he gets this sort of negative energy surrounding the team for sure he will never perform and Ethiopia will keep changing coaches from one to the other.

Former coach Sewnet Bishaw did well with the team but please lets not forget so fast that he had over 2 years to prepare the team to reach the level they reached and with all respect Mariano Barreto has only managed the team in his first major competitive match against fancied Algeria so why cant he be given then same time to build his own team?

This is a rallying call to the entire Ethiopian football fraternity its now or never we either decide to give the team support or we decide to kill the team by the skewed comments and accusations just because we want certain players to be in the team.

Its time to call a spade a spade and not a big spoon the section of the adamant sports journalists should shape up or ship out as they are not only a distraction to the team but they are patriotic and are using their positions in an unprofessional manner to hinder development of Ethiopian football its time for the Ethiopian fans to say enough is enough and give Walia Ibex,Coach Mariano Barreto and EFF the support they need to succeed there are no two ways about this and this is without any prejudice to anyone .

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com