In nine matches in charge Walia Ibex’s head coach Ashenafi Bekele has only managed a single win, a 5-0 victory over lowly ranked Djibouti in the CHAN 2018 qualifiers.
This translates to 11% win rate, a below per performance by all standards.
But despite all the glaring stats and even with Ashenafi himself admitting to the situation being “beyond his capacity,” it seems calls for his head will not yield much soon.
Last weekend, following 3-2 home loss to Rwanda in the CHAN 2018 playoff in Addis Ababa, the soft spoken manager offered an apology to the public for the team’s persistent bad show.
He was keen to avoid blaming anyone in particular this time like he did with goalkeeper Abel Mamo when the Walia’s went down 5-0 against Ghana in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers mid this year sparking outrage.
However, he feels the country lacks proven strikers and that has made his work difficult.
“I want to apologize to the public. We have not be able to get good results in recent times,”
“We have had finishing problem; if you don’t have decent forwards, you pay the price, I have said this over and over again. It is beyond my capacity. I take full responsibility for the loss,” Bekele said.
Under the current Ethiopian Football Federation administration led by Juneidi Basha, three coaches have come and gone with little to write home about.
They include Portuguese Mariano Bareto, Yahaness Sahle and Gebre-Methine Haile, who held the position on a temporary basis.
Sewnet Bishaw is regarded as the most successful Walia’s manager in recent times. He was appointed during the previous regime of Salhu Gebre-Wolde but fired under Juneidi.
Ashenafi has offered to resign previously but EFF declined to accept his letter.
In the year of the federation’s elections, it is believed Juneidi does not want to lose credibility by being seen as hiring and firing coaches at will.
He will guide the team Sunday in the CHAN 2018 playoff return match against Rwanda in Kigali.
