Defence Force S.C.

Defence Force Sport Club (Amharic: መከላከያ "Mekelakeya") is an Ethiopian football club based in the city of Addis Ababa.[1] They play in the Betking Ethiopian Premier League, the first division of professional football in Ethiopia.[1] The team, formerly named Army SC and Mechal SC, is the second most decorated club in Ethiopian football history behind Saint George.[2]

Defence Force
Full nameDefence Force Sport Club
Nickname(s)TORU
Founded1938
GroundAddis Ababa Stadium
Capacity35,000
ChairmanAto Emanuel Fentahun
ManagerEthiopia Yohannes Sahle
LeagueBetking Ethiopian Premier League
2020-21Higher League 2nd of 9 (Group A)

History

Mekelakeya is historically the second most successful club in Ethiopian football history with 11 top division titles, with the most recent coming in 1989. Their dominance in the early years of Ethiopian football was cemented with six titles in the span of eight years from 1949 to 1956. After relative dormancy in the 1960s and 1970s, the club returned to its dominant ways in the 1980s by winning four titles. The club also has enjoyed success in the Ethiopian Cup, winning it 13 times. Defense beat Hawassa City 2–0 to win the 2015 Ethiopian Cup for a record 13th time and for the second time in three years.[3]

Defense entered the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup as the runners-up in the 2016 Ethiopian Cup. They were knocked out of the tournament by Cameroonian side Yong Sports Academy 2–1 on aggregate in the preliminary round.[4] On April 30, 2018 the club was involved in a match where they were awarded a goal that their opponents, Welwalo Adigrat University, disputed. An altercation followed that ultimately led to a member of the Welwalo coaching staff physically attacking the referee.[5] In April 2021, the club was promoted back into the Ethiopian Premier League after a successful campaign in the second division.

Crest
  • logo
    logo

Stadium

The club plays its home matches at Addis Ababa Stadium.

Departments

Active Departments
  • Women's Football Team
  • Football Team (U17)[6]
  • Football Team (U20)

Honors

Domestic
1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989
1946, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1982, 1990, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2018

African
1977 – First Round
2007 – First Round
2017 – Preliminary Round
1976 – Quarter-finals

Players

First-team squad

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 Ethiopia ETH Teklemariam Shanko
2 DF Ethiopia ETH Ibrahim Hussein
13 DF Ethiopia ETH Abebe Tilahun
16 DF Ethiopia ETH Adisu Tesfaye
3 DF Ethiopia ETH Alemneh Girma
10 DF Ethiopia ETH Mintesnot Kebede
2 DF Ethiopia ETH Shemeles Tegegn
8 MF Ethiopia ETH Kenean Markneh
0 MF Ethiopia ETH Amanuel Teshome
25 MF Ethiopia ETH Behaylu Girma
17 MF Ethiopia ETH Firew Solomon
19 MF Ethiopia ETH Samuel Taye(captain)
— Ethiopia ETH Zacharias Fekre
— Ethiopia ETH Hailu Girma
—   Solomon David
—   Al-Hassan Nuhu
—   Mohammed Adulahi
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Ethiopia ETH Solomon Melkie
15 MF Ethiopia ETH Tewodros Tafesse
— MF Ethiopia ETH Werkneh Dawit
24 FW Ethiopia ETH Eklesyas Girma
23 FW Ethiopia ETH Fikadu Alemu
27 FW Ethiopia ETH Fitsum Gebremariam
— FW Ethiopia ETH Minyilu Wondimu
9 FW Ethiopia ETH Temesgen Gebrekidan
— DF Ethiopia ETH Semere Aregaw
— DF Ethiopia ETH Abnet Yigletu
— GK Ethiopia ETH Yidnekachew Kidane Beyene
— DF Ethiopia ETH Muluken Desalegn Degu
— FW Ghana GHA Ernest Barfo
— MF Ethiopia ETH Samuel Saliso
— Ethiopia ETH Dawit Mamo

Former Managers

Former Players
  • Ethiopia Awol Abdellah[7]
  • Ethiopia Bedaso Hora[7]
  • Ethiopia Seyoum Kebede
  • Ethiopia Faud Ibrahim[8]

References
  1. "Ethiopia 2006/07". rsssf. Archived from the original on 2007-01-05. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  2. Takele, Tewodros (June 11, 2021). "መከላከያ ስፖርት ክለብ ሲምፖዚም አካሂዷል". Soccer Ethiopia.
  3. Okinyo, Collins (September 27, 2015). "Defense(Mekelakeya) lift Ethiopia Football Federation Cup for a record 13th time". soka25east.
  4. Chuma, Festus (February 20, 2017). "2017 CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round summary". soka25east.
  5. "Referee attacked by Ethiopian footballers for goal decision". BBC. May 1, 2018.
  6. Mesfin, Daniel (March 14, 2021). "የአዲስ አበባ ከ17 ዓመት በታች ውድድር ዛሬ ተጀምሯል". Soccer Ethiopia.
  7. Gebremariam, Abraham (June 10, 2014). "ፕሪምየር ሊግ ፡ ሐረር ሲቲ መድንን ተከትሎ መውረዱን አረጋገጠ". Soccer Ethiopia.
  8. "የቀድሞ ተጫዋች ለድሬዳዋ ስታዲየም ድጋፍ አደረገ". Soccer Ethiopia. April 6, 2021.


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