Ethiopian Coffee S.C.

Ethiopian Coffee Football Club (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ቡና ስፖርት ክለብ, Ethiopian Buna Football Club) is an Ethiopian football club based in Addis Ababa. They are a member of the Ethiopian Football Federation and play in the top division of Ethiopian Football, the Ethiopian Premier League. Their home stadium is Addis Ababa Stadium. They are number one in the country for the number of fans.

Ethiopian Coffee S.C.
Full nameEthiopian Coffee Sport Club
Nickname(s)YeNigat Kokeb
Coffee Makers
Short nameBuna
Founded1976 (1968 E.C.)
GroundAddis Ababa Stadium
Capacity35,000
OwnerFans
Chairman Meto Aleka Fekade Mamo(Chento)
Manager Kassaye Arage
LeagueEthiopian Premier League
2019-20Premier League 14th of 16

History

Ethiopian Coffee Sport Club was founded in 1976 (1968 EC) as "Yebuna Gebeya Sport Club" and started playing football in the AEWA Factory workers third division. The club amassed an impressive four trophies and one fair play award during the next its first 6 years.

In 1983, the club officially changed its name to Ethiopian Coffee Sports Club under the management of the National Coffee Trading Corporation, then a government enterprise. In 1995 the club was restructured and since then it has been financially supported by the Ethiopian coffee exporters and by its steadily growing supporters. The two long serving coaches of the club were Mr Siyoum Abate and professor Sisay Zeleke.

In 1998 one of the club's most notable players, Aseged Tesfaye, became the first player to score five goals in a single CAF Champions League match, when he did it against St. Michel United FC (Seychelles) in an 8–2 win in the preliminary round. Tesfaye's record still holds to date.

"Though until recently considered arch rival to the nation's oldest, richest and most popular club, Saint George," noted a writer for the Addis Ababa Capital, "Coffee in the past couple of years faced high financial constraints hardly able to sign big name players. The result has been a decade existence never winning the premier league." In December, 2008 The Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) bought Coffee, and Meta Abo Brewery signed a three-year sponsorship contract, both of which were expected to help the struggling football club.[1] In 2010, Ethiopian Coffee FC won their first ever Premier league title beating St. George and Defence Forces Fc. In the same year, Ethiopian Coffee FC signed a worth sponsorship deal with Habesha Beer, their third ever sponsorship deal following worbek and meta Abo Beer.

At the start of the 2017–18 Season the team hired Serbian manager Kostadin Papic to a two-year contract. One month into his stay as manager, the club and Papic decided to mutually part ways after it was determined that his health condition wouldn't allow him to cope with the demands of the job.[2] In December 2017 the club hired Frenchman Didier Gomes Da Rosa as their new manager, replacing Papic.[3]. Ethiopia buna legend is Ketema Birru

Finances

In 2018 the team along with the club's official fan club announced the creation of a digital platform called "Tifozo" developed in collaboration with Elebat Solutions (a Technology led solutions provider in Ethiopia).[4] The platform will allow for members registration, members contribution collection, and digital stadium ticketing among other things.[5]

Fans

Ethiopian Coffee has a large fan base of fans which are known for their large displays of flags during matches. The team's official fan club has 18,000 registered member and according to studies conducted by the fan club there is an estimated 6 million Ethiopian Buna (Coffee) fans throughout the country and in the Ethiopian diaspora.[4] In recent years their numbers have grown to match the fans of their biggest rivals St. George S.C. However, as a result clashes between these two sets of supporters, usually ultras, are very common especially when the two teams go head to head in the "Sheger Derby".

Colors

The Ethiopian Coffee logo has gone through some changes since the club's inception in the mid 70's. While the emphasis on the traditional coffee pot present in previous logos, the vibrant maroon and gold colors in the current logo are what give the club its identity. The club's ultras are known to wave large strips of maroon and gold flags at matches.

Grounds
Yidnekachew Tessema Stadium
Full nameYidnekachew Tessema Stadium
Former namesHaile Selassie Stadium
LocationAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
Capacity35,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Opened1940
Renovated1960, 1999
Tenants
Ethiopia national football team
Saint George FC
Ethiopian Coffee FC
Defence FC

Ethiopian Coffee play their home games at Yidnekachew Tessema Stadium, also generally known as Addis Ababa Stadium, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The ground is shared with other clubs based in Addis Ababa including Defense FC and Ethiopian Coffee's bitter rivals St. George S.C.

As a result, the ground has witness many occasions of violence in recent years between different sets of supporters including that of Ethiopian Coffee. Consequently, the Ethiopian Football Federation has handed down hefty monetary punishments and on some occasions banned supporters from stadiums for a certain number of matches.

The board of governors of the club have previously announced their intention to build their own grounds in Addis Ababa.

Honors

National competitions

2011

1988, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2008

1997, 2000, 2008, 2010

2004, 2012, 2018

  • Ethiopian Run Away League: 1

2007

African Competitions
1998 – Second Round
2012 – First Round

2004 – Preliminary Round

  • CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 3 appearances
1999 – First Round
2000 – Second Round
2001 – Second round


Players

First-team squad

As of 18 January 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ETH Teklemariam Shanko
13 DF  ETH Ahmed Reshid
2 DF  ETH Fetudin Jemal
11 DF  ETH Asrat Tunjo
4 DF  ETH Wondmeneh Dereje
8 MF  ETH Amanuel Yohannes(C)
6 MF  ETH Alemante Kassa
5 MF  ETH Taffese Solomon
16 FW  ETH Endale Debalke
44 FW  ETH Habtamu Tadesse
7 FW  ETH Mikias Mekonnen
18 DF  ETH Haile Gebretensay
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 DF  ETH Ibraheim Baja
9 MF  ETH Addis Fesseha
14 MF  ETH Eyasu Tameru
99 GK  ETH Bereket Amare
3 MF  ETH Fikreyesus Teklebrhan
21 FW  ETH Alazar Shimeles
23 FW  ETH Seife Zakir
10 FW  ETH Abubeker Nasser
17 FW  ETH Abel Kebede
24  ETH Fuad Nessru

Club Officials

Coaching staff
  • Manager: Kassaye Arage
  • First Assistant Coach: Mohammed Ibrahim
  • Second Assistant Coach: Habtewolde Desta
  • First-team goalkeeping coach: Tsegazab Asegedom

Former players

Former Managers

Sponsors
  • 2000 - Ultimate Motors[6]
  • Current - Habesha Breweries[7]

Notes
  1. "Meta Abo Beer gives Coffee life line, retains board chair", Capital website (accessed 21 May 2009)
  2. Tolesa, Dawit (11 November 2017). "Ethiopia Coffee appoint new coach". The Reporter Ethiopia.
  3. "Ethiopia Coffee to announce Didier Gomes as head coach". EthioSports. December 16, 2018.
  4. Legesse, Mikael (August 30, 2018). "ኢትዮጵያ ቡና እና ዕልባት 'ቲፎዞ' የተሰኘውን ዘመናዊ ቴክኖሎጂ ዛሬ አስተዋወቁ". Soccer Ethiopia.
  5. "Press Release on the launching of Ethiopia Bunna FC fans association – Elebat Solution Digital member management & payment Initiatives". Elebat Solution. March 29, 2018.
  6. https://allafrica.com/stories/200008150034.html
  7. https://www.habeshabreweries.com/habesha-friends
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