League champions Fasil Kenema will take some stopping

Betking Ethiopia Premier League defending champions Fasil Kenema, otherwise known as Fasil City, have laid down a marker for the season with their performance so far in the 2021-22 campaign, sitting on top of the log after three weeks of action going into the break.

Fasil have won all three of their games, scored eight goals and conceded just one, with a two-point lead over second-placed Bahir Dar and a goal difference of +7. By comparison, Bahir Dar have a goal difference of +4.

On the surface, this may appear quite surprising, but unlike most of the sides in the league, they have shown a great deal of organisation despite failing to keep their star player and top scorer in their championship campaign from last season, Mujib Kassim who transferred to Algerian Club JS kabylie.

They crashed out of the Caf Champions League quite early but the experience allowed them to train and play games while most of the teams were on their long holiday, so the disappointing ouster did them some good in terms of their smart player recruitment.

This season, they have unleashed a new scoring sensation in Bezabih Melayu, who has been running things in midfield but also weighed in with goals, netting the lone goal in their 1-0 win over Wolkite Ketema and grabbing a brace in their latest 4-0 win over Jimma Aba Jifar. Melayu also orchestrated the move that led to the penalty and the last goal.

Fasil have been solid defensively which accounts for their clean sheets in their last two games and their dominance defensively. Each time they were under pressure, Yared Bayeh marshalled the defence superbly and along with the goalkeeper, Michael Samake, would launch their build-up from the back with marauding wingbacks Sheket Gugsa, Amsalu Tilahun, Aschalew tamene and Abdulkerim Mohammed

Shemeket Gugsa was often the one who produced great moments of inspiration for Mujib Kassim last season, and he and Amsalu Tilahun could be seen joining the midfield and combining with Habtamu Tekeste and Bezabh Meleyu to free the runners Bereket Desta, Natnael Gebregiogis and Fikadu Alemu

Alemu scored an opening day hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Hadiya Hossana, and Gebregiogis has also opened his account, coming off the bench to score the fourth goal in the win over Jimma.

Fasil have two more weapons. The first is Sidama Coffee’s impressive Nigerian Striker, Okiki Afolabi who will be a factor, and the most important is that they have arguably one of the best coaches in Seyoum Kebede, a former Ethiopia national team coach.