Sidama Bunna Loses 2-0 to Al Hilal in Dire Dawa, and Coffee Wins the Sheger Derby

Sidama Bunna lost 2-0 to Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan on Sunday in Dire Dawa, beIN SPORTS reported. The game was the first leg of their Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League second qualifying round tie. It kicked off at 4 p.m. Ethiopia time at Dire Dawa Stadium, according to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).

Al Hilal went ahead in the 11th minute when a Sidama defender put the ball into his own net, the Egyptian sports site Btolat reported. The Sudanese club scored a second goal in stoppage time. Sidama now has a two-goal gap to close in the return game, which Btolat said is set for October 25.

How Sidama Reached This Round

Sidama won its first Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) Ethiopian Premier League title last season, and that title took the club into the Champions League. In the first round, Sidama drew 0-0 with Aiglons of Chad away. It then won 3-0 in Dire Dawa on September 13, Pan Africa Football reported. In August, Soccer Ethiopia reported that CAF had approved Dire Dawa Stadium for Ethiopia’s early club rounds this season.

Al Hilal beat Aigle Noir of Burundi 3-0 over two legs in the first round. Sudan Horizon reported on October 16 that the club flew into Addis Ababa from Kigali on Friday and then went on to Dire Dawa. The same report said German coach Joseph Zinnbauer left several players out of the squad, including Malian midfielder Haman Mangan and Ghanaian Selim Adams.

Soccer Ethiopia reported earlier in the week that three Sidama players missed the club’s first training session in Dire Dawa. They were captain Yared Bayeh, striker Mesfin Tafesse and midfielder Biniam Belay. Yared and Mesfin were hurt in the league opener against the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia club, and Biniam was away for personal reasons.

Coffee Wins the Sheger Derby

On Saturday, in the second week of the CBE Ethiopian Premier League, Ethiopian Coffee beat St. George 2-1 in the Sheger derby, Soccer Ethiopia reported. The first half ended 0-0. Fekadu Alemayehu scored for Coffee in the 57th minute, and Okay Jul added a second goal in the 74th. Amanuel Erbo scored for St. George in the 82nd minute. Late in the game, Bereket Woldemariam was sent off for a second yellow card. Fekadu and Yared Yeman then both received direct red cards after a clash. The win gave Coffee its first three points of the season, while St. George stayed on one point.

In the same round, Hawassa City drew 1-1 with Ethiopian Insurance. Alfred Kurunziza scored for Insurance in the 23rd minute, and Getaneh Kebede scored from a penalty for Hawassa in the 62nd minute. Both goalkeepers, Adibiye Marcel of Hawassa and Wanja Tut of Insurance, were sent off with direct red cards, Soccer Ethiopia reported.

The week began on Friday. Halaba City beat Bahir Dar City 1-0 with a goal from Yonatan Hailu, Soccer Ethiopia reported. Adama City and Sheger City drew 0-0, and Ethio Electric and Negele Arsi also finished 0-0, the same report said.

Sunday League Games

Two more league games were played on Sunday afternoon. Mechal, also known as Defence Force, met Ethiopia Nigd Bank at Addis Ababa Stadium, and Hadiya Hossana faced Welayta Dicha, according to Soccer Ethiopia match pages.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, Welwalo Adigrat University lost the first leg 4-0 to Al Ahli Tripoli in Tripoli on Friday. Its return leg and Sidama’s second leg against Al Hilal both fall in the same October 23 to 25 CAF window.