Frontrunners Ethiopia Nigd Bank and Mekelakeya win big

Ethiopia Nigd Bank and Mekelakeya have been the top title challengers this Ethiopa Premier League season and they both strengthened their positions with big wins on Wednesday.

Mekelakeya beat Dire Dawa City 3-1 in the first of the midweek fixtures at the Adama Science and Technology University Stadium.

Leaders Ethiopia Nigd Bank defeated Ethiopian Insurance 4-1 in the second game.

First up Mekelakeya won a first-half penalty just past the half hour mark and on 34 minutes, Kenean Markneh scored from the spot to give the Defence Force a 1-0 lead.

Behailu Girma made it 2-0 for Mekelakeya as they went into the break enjoying a comfortable lead.

Ethiopian Insurance came out smoking in the second half, fighting hard to get back in the game and they eventually pulled one back in the 84th minute through Surafel Getachew.

However, Mekelakeya immediately restored their two-goal advantage one minute later through Ibrahim Mohammed's 85th minute goal to win 3-1.

It was a different start for the leaders, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, also known as Ethiopia Nigd Bank, who fell behind to Ethiopian Insurance in the 13th minute.

Mohammed Abera gave Insurance a 1-0 lead.

It took the Bankers ten minutes into the second half before they got an equaliser through Fetudin Jamal's 55th-minute goal.

Jamal completed his brace in the 71st minute to increase the tally to 2-1 and Addis Gidey made it 3-1 two minutes later in the 73rd minute.

Biniyam Getachew completed the rout in the 83rd minute to consolidate Ethiopia Nigd Bank 's lead at the top of the table.

Ethiopia Nigd Bank lead on goal difference (+13) to Mekelakeya's +9 with both sides tied at 26 points each.