Ethiopia: Coach and player sanctioned after heated tunnel incident

The Ethiopian Premier League Share Company (EPLSC) has imposed heavy penalties on Dire Dawa Ketema and Midere Genet Shire coaches and players for inciting a brawl on Matchday 26.

The match, held at Hawassa University Stadium, ended in favour of Dire Dawa Ketema but was marred by a physical altercation between the two sides.

The Easterners pipped Midere Genet Shire 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Mohamed-Nur Nassir in a critical relegation dogfight. Fighting broke out in the stadium tunnel after the final whistle, leading the EPLSC to penalise Dire Dawa Ketema head coach Yitagesu Endale and Midere Genet Shire winger Shemeket Gugesa.

Both are alleged to have initiated the brawl, which quickly intensified.

Disciplinary Action in the Ethiopian Premier League

The EPLSC has suspended both Endale and Gugesa for six league games and fined them 20,000 Birr ($127.65 USD). Endale, the former Adama Ketema head trainer, is no stranger to controversy; he was suspended for nine games during the 2024/25 season for insulting match officials.

Gugesa, a former Ethiopian international, joined Shire at the start of this season after winning the league title with Fasil Kenema five years ago.

The suspension means both men will miss six vital fixtures. Dire Dawa Ketema currently sits 12th with 32 points, while Shire is 18th with 28 points as they fight for survival. Dire Dawa’s next two fixtures are against title contenders Mechal and Sidama Coffee, which they must now navigate without their head coach.

The EPLSC cited the Ethiopian Football Federation Disciplinary Code as the basis for the sanctions. This marks the most severe penalty handed down by the league across all 20 clubs so far in the 2025/26 season.