All eyes will be on St George this weekend as the BetKing Ethiopia Premier League 2022/23 season kicks off in Barhir Dar on 30 September. Expectations are high after a dramatic end to the 2021/22 season which went to the wire with "Horsemen" of Addis Ababa pipping defending champions Fasil Kenema only on the final weekend.
There have been some interesting transfers and some surprises. We will be starting a new season for the first time without Abubekher Nasir and opportunities abound for a new king.
Yigezu Bogale, the Sidama Coffee striker, announced himself last season when he emerged top scorer, but who will challenge him?
We saw Addis Ababa City; Several City and Jimma Aba Jifar get relegated, unlike the previous season when Adams City and Jimma (again) were spared as the league was increased to 16 teams.
EEPCO, Legatafo and Ethiopia Insurance have been promoted. Can they rumble with the big boys? Who will survive relegation after what we saw go down last season?
SuperSport.com provides a brief preview of the 18 top-flight sides.
ADAMA CITY
Last season: 11th
Adama City will be strengthened by the arrival of William Solomon from Ethiopia Coffee and Mesoud Mohammed from relegated Jimma Aba Jifar, but that's not enough.
They will need to improve their goalscoring to improve their fortunes after finishing 11th when they could be much higher.
To their credit, this was a decent campaign where they performed better than the previous season which ended in relegation before they were saved..
They still have the power and directness of Dawa Hotessa.
ARBA MINCH CITY
Last season: 7th
2022/23 prediction: 7th
Arbaminch City came up to the Premier League last season alongside Defence Force and relegated Addis Ababa City. Despite a poor start, they will look to consolidate their Premier League status.
BAHIR DAR:
Last season: 12th
2022/23 prediction: 9th
Bahir Dar performed below their standards from the previous season when they dropped from 7th to 12th last season.
They have been strengthened with the arrival of Yabsera Tesfaye from St George, Duresh Shubissa and Charles Ribanu from Addis Ababa
DEFENCE FORCE
Last season: 9th
2022/23 prediction: 4th
Mekalakeya came back into the Premier League with great pedigree, and they showed their competitive edge quite early.
Their high ninth-place finish was no fluke, and having survived, they have really attracted some top talent.
They have signed the amazing Kenean Markeneh from Champions, St George, Bereket Desta fr Fasil and the inspirational Fitsum Alemu from Bahir Dar.
When you add the arrival of Teklemariam Shanko from Sidama Coffee and Ahmed Reshid of Bahir Dar, you have a side that should challenge for the title.
DIRE DAWA
Last season: 13th
2022/23 prediction:14th
Dire Dawa has been quite a yo-yo swinging team these past two seasons.
Their 13th-place finish was a drop from the previous season. It wasn't just their results but also their football that was uninspiring.
They lacked the kind of firepower provided by their Namibian strike force of Junias Nanjebo and have been conceding goals in buckets.
The acquisition of veteran goalkeeper Daniel Teshome could be a key change.
EEPCO
Last season: 1st - Higher Leagues
Ethio Electric, as the e Ethiopia Electric Company Football Club are called, earned their place in the Premier League after finishing top in the Higher League.
ETHIOPIA COFFEE
Last Season: 6th
Ethiopia Coffee flattered to deceive last season after finishing second behind Fasil the previous season.
They could be forgiven for dreaming with the heroics of Abubekher Nasir who carried them.
However, they are now focused on finding goals and they have signed Mesfin Tafesse and Biruk Beyene from Hawassa and the midfield duo of Abdulkerim Worku and Chaka Teshita from Wolkite City.
ETHIOPIA INSURANCE
Last season: 1st of 12 in Higher League group
2022/23 prediction: 16th
Ethiopia Insurance have been promoted to the Premier League and need to be prepared for the challenge.
They will be tested like Addis Ababa, Defence and Arbaminch last season but a good start is the only thing that will help them find their way.
They will need to start winning early to avoid the drop.
FASIL KENEMA
Last season: 2nd
2022/23 prediction: 4
Fasil Kenema have been the unstoppable force these last two seasons, finishing as champions and runners-up respectively.
They will again be without Mujib Kassim at the start of the season after he moved again, and they have lost Bereket Desta.
Their reinforcement has come through the signing of Menaf Awol from Bahirdar City, Ethiopia Coffee star, Tafesse Tesfaye and Habtamu Gezahegn (Sidama Coffee).
Fasil still have enough ammunition to compete.
HADIYA HOSSANA
Last season: 10th
HAWASSA CITY
Last season: 4th
2022/23pPrediction: 2nd
Hawassa City started last season like a house of fire and kept up their challenge right through to the end of the season.
Their fourth-place finish was no fluke, and they are ready to mount another challenge.
This season, they will be buoyed by the arrival of the experienced Mujib Kassin, Fasil's major inspiration in the last two seasons along with teammate Seid Hassen and Solomon Wodessa from Bahir Dar.
LEGETAFO LEGEDADI
Last season position: 1st in Higher League Group.
2022/23 prediction: 15th
Legetafo are another of the newly promoted sides with designs on establishing themselves with the elite clubs.
They will focus on this task all season and will need a good start to oil their guns. Otherwise, like Addis Ababa last season, they will realise the difference.
SIDAMA COFFEE
Last season: 3rd
2022/23 prediction: 5th
Sidama Coffee challenged for honours last season and their high third-place finish owes a great deal to the goals of Yigezu Bogale.
The striker produced the goals but a lot of the reason for his late-season surge was the arrival of legendary striker Saladin Seid, who provided a confidence boost.
They have added Bulcha Shura from St George and Muluken Adissu to a formidable squad.
Sidama will challenge again if they keep both.
ST GEORGE
Last season: Champions
2022/23 prediction: Champions
St George will always challenge for honours and they have a big squad and some amazing talent.
How they let Kenean Markeneh leave after what was a breakthrough season for him and the club is a mystery but perhaps a chance for Chernet Gugsa to shine.
However, they have signed Ramadan Yussouf from Wolkite, Binyam Belay from Defence Force and Dawit Tefera from Sidama Coffee
They will be the team to beat once again
WOLAITA DICHA
Last season: 8th
2022/23 prediction: 7th
Wolaitta Dicha dropped the ball last season, with a very inconsistent run but managed a respectable eighth-place finish in the end.
However, this was well below their 2020/21 season charge led by Sintayehu Mengistu and Chernet Gugsa before the latter moved to St George
Mengistu is still there but they will need to raise their game.
They probably need a good start to keep up with the big boys.
WOLKITE CITY
Last season: 11th
2022/23 prediction: 6th
Wolkite were quite formidable two seasons ago and a lot was expected from them last season when they landed the services of the legendary Getaneh Kebede.
Kebede naturally became captain and led from the front, but they were undone by playing too many draws
Their 11th-place finish just didn't reflect their quality.
They should finish higher this season.
Editorial Credit - VandykeSports