Ethiopian Premier League to kick off with new 20-team format

The 2025-26 Ethiopian Premier League season is set to kick off on October 18, 2025, in Addis Ababa and Adama. The top flight will commence with a new format, as 20 clubs are set to vie for the title in the new season. The Ethiopian Premier League Share Company (EPLSC) revealed that clubs will be drawn into two groups as the new format is set to roll out for one season.

In a ceremony held in Addis Ababa, the league introduced the new format. The expanded league will now have two groups, with each group containing 10 clubs. A total of 380 matches will be held during the season, while four cities have been selected to stage the competition. Each group will have five games per matchday, and the average recovery time has been extended to two or three days.

ለመገናኛ ብዙሃን !

በ20 ተሳታፊ ክለቦች የሚደረገው የውድድር እጣ ማውጣት መርሃ ግብር ሐሙስ መስከረም 15/2018 ከቀኑ 9:00 ላይ ወሎ ሰፈር በሚገኘው ቤስት ዌስተርን ፕሪሚየር ዳይናስቲ ሆቴል ስለሚደረግ እንድትገኙልን ጥሪያችንን እናስተላልፋለን። pic.twitter.com/q70MUkUHQ1

— Ethiopian Premier League S.C (@EthiopianLeague) September 24, 2025

Five teams from each group will interchange after matchday nine so that all 20 clubs can play each other. The first two groups for the initial nine weeks have been announced, with cross-city rivals Ethiopian Coffee and Saint George drawn together. Reigning Ethiopian champions Ethiopian Insurance are also in the group. The league will kick off with a very big game, as Ethiopian Coffee and Saint George meet in week one for a Sheger Derby tie.

Addis Ababa, Adama, Dire Dawa, and Hawassa will be hosting the games. Pan-Africa Football understands that Bahir Dar could be the fifth host city if the Bahir Dar Stadium renovation is completed during the season. Arbaminch University has also shown interest in hosting league games this season.

League games will return to the capital after a four-year hiatus. According to the EPLSC, only those with fan IDs will be allowed to attend games at the Addis Ababa Stadium. CCTV cameras will be installed inside the stadium as the league and city administration look to curb fan mayhem from occurring at the venue.

Ethiopian Premier League Groups (For the first nine weeks)

Group 1

• Wolwalo Adigrat University
• Fasil Kenema
• Sihul Shire
• Mechal
• Diredawa Ketema
• Wolayta Dicha
• Hawassa Ketema
• Mekele 70 Enderta
• Sidama Coffee
• Commercial Bank of Ethiopia

Group 2

• Negele Arsi
• Ethiopian Coffee
• Ethio-Electric
• Bahirdar Ketema
• Adama Ketema
• Sheger Ketema
• Ethiopian Insurance
• Hadiya Hosaina
• Saint George
• Arbaminch Ketema

Week One Fixtures

Group 1

• Wolwalo Adigrat University vs. Sidama Coffee
• Fasil Kenema vs Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
• Sihul Shire vs Mekele 70 Enderta
• Mechal vs Wolayta Dicha
• Diredawa Ketema vs Hawassa Ketema

Group 2

• Saint George vs Ethiopian Coffee
• Negele Arsi vs Arbaminch Ketema
• Bahirdar Ketema vs Hadiya Hosaina
• Ethio-Electric vs Sheger Ketema
• Adama Ketema vs Ethiopian Insurance⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.