Unpaid salaries and boardroom disputes deepen Saint George crisis

Record Ethiopian champions Saint George are in a dire situation after they failed to pay four months’ worth of salaries to their players. The Addis Ababa giants could lose some of their key players in the second round of the 2025/26 CBE Ethiopian Premier League season due to the serious problem.

A source close to the club told Pan-Africa Football that the Horsemen have reached the point of collapse if things continue on the same path.

Saint George lost 0-3 earlier today to Ethiopian Insurance in the Week 21 opening fixture, as their captain and leading top scorer Abel Yalew handed in a transfer request. Yalew chose the club over army side Mechal during the previous summer transfer window, but his stay now seems to be cut short. Another striker, Biniyam Fikeru, left the club two weeks ago by mutual consent.

Other players are expected to follow suit if the club fails to settle its salary obligations. The prominent institution has been a battleground for its members after a new board was set up in October 2025.

The new board, led by club chairman Abenet Gebremeskel, received fierce opposition from some members, who have taken the matter to a civil court in Addis Ababa. The court process is still ongoing, with some members calling the new board illegal.

A negative impact on and off the pitch for Saint George

The fiasco has negatively impacted the team’s performance in the top flight. The club now has 24 points and sits 11th, only two points above the relegation zone. Saint George has also accumulated huge debts to hotels and some service providers. It has also been barred from signing new players by FIFA.

The oldest Ethiopian club now faces questions about its survival, sources noted. Saint George used to be a force in the Ethiopian club football scene, with strong backing from its patron Mohamed Hussien Ali Al-Amoudi.

Since a rift between Gebremeskel and Al-Amoudi occurred, support from MIDROC, a conglomerate owned by the Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire, has ceased, and Saint George has struggled financially.