Players COVID-19 test result in controversy
The Betking Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) is set to resume this weekend after Ethiopia’s run in the African Cup of Nations came to an end. Following the Walias participation in the AFCON, the EPL was postponed for 35 days.
However, after the Walias dropped-out of the group stages, the local rivalries are set to resume in Dire Dawa City.
In the 2021/22 EPL season, the first nine weeks of matches were played in Hawassa University stadium. As per the EPL share company’s statement, the second round of matches were planned to take place at Adama University. However, the share company’s stadium inspection team stated that the host city did not fulfill the requirements to host the matches.
Due to this, Dire Dawa will now host the upcoming fixtures scheduled from week 10 to week 15. DSTV, which owns the rights to broadcast the matches, has already arrived in Dire Dawa.
Dire Dawa City Youth and Sport Commission, in collaboration with the city’s security force, has welcomed participating teams. In Hawassa, the fixtures usually kicked-off at 9:00 and 12:00 o’clock local time, but have now been changed due to the weather in Dire Dawa city.
The league company was in discussions with DSTV over the possibility of the games starting at 10:00 and 1:00 o’clock local time.
Some participating clubs have already arrived to commence their preparations, with Jimma City, Fasil Kenema, Hadiya Hossana, and Sebeta City among the first teams to arrive in the city.
Players who had a chance to take part in the AFCON have joined up with their clubs after returning from Cameroon.
However, there are complaints raised by participating clubs that COVID-19 protocols are being breached. During the Ethiopian Football Federation’s (EFF) general assembly, which was held a couple of weeks ago in Arba Minch, participating clubs raised the issue of players’ COVID-19 tests becoming a problem.
According to a complaint made by a club representative, players’ COVID-19 test results are being changed from a positive to a negative by bribing health officers.
Club representatives further elaborated that, there was a moment when more than five players tested positive in a single club. However, they preferred to change the result by bribing the health officers instead of being quarantined.
Meanwhile, as per sources The Reporter talked to, players who tested positive were not aware of their test results during quarantines and usually shared a room together.
Many argue that such carelessness has an impact on the league, players, clubs, and the competition itself. The share company said that participating clubs should follow public health guidance to keep each other safe during match days.
The league company discussed with 16 participating clubs to confirm new COVID guidance rules. The share company had stipulated that clubs must conduct a COVID-19 test at a common center. Sidama Coffee football club was fined 25,000 birr following testing at other places at its own expense.
