Minyahil Teshome, Footballer

Unlucky

What Happened:

Minayahil Teshome, a football player who is a member of the Ethiopian National Football Team, joined the spotlight after he became the reason for the team to lose three points in the run to the 2014 World Cup.  In the matchEthiopiaplayed withBotswanato eventually win 2 to 1, Minyahil is said to have been played ineligibly. His two yellow cards in the previous matches for the qualifier were mentioned as the reason behind the ineligibility. A letter sent to the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) by the FIFA – the global football supervision body – stating Minyahil’s ineligibility was overlooked by staffs of the Federation to eventually cost the national team three points, which would have secured its move to the next step in the qualifier.

When It Happened:

The decision by FIFA to investigate the ineligible participation of Minyahil in the game withBotswanawas officially announced on June 17, 2013, afterEthiopiadefeated its South African rival 2 to 1.  Yet, the announcement came to the attention of the EFF months before the game withSouth Africa, although they waited until the victory to let the public know it.

What to Know:

Minyahil Teshome is born in November 14, 1985. Before joining his current club in the Ethiopian Premier League – Dedebit FC – he played for Ethiopian Coffee, another popular football club in the league. He often plays on the leftwing, in the mid field, even if he seldom supports strikers. Minyahil is 1.73m long and weighs 62kg.   His total participation minutes in the African Cup of Nation is said to be 223 minutes in three appearances. A calculation of Minyahil’s participation minute in the qualifier to the 2014 World Cup shows 312 minutes in four appearances. He was substituted out in two times through the qualifier, while he has seen two yellow cards. His yellow card record in the African Cup of Nation is just one. The total number of international games that Minyahil took part in 2013 is 17.

Milestone:

It was in 2004 that Minyahil joined Ethiopian Coffee. He played for eight years in the club. In 2012, he moved to Dedebit FC. The player has been member of the Ethiopian Football National Team since 2011. Under Coach Swenet Bishaw, Minyahil has been in the list for both the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup Qualifier. In 2013 only, Minyahil has managed to play four international games for his club, even if he has not scored goals.

Hotspot:

Minyahil has been accused by football fans for overlooking an important decision in football – receiving yellow cards. His critics went on far to impose the whole responsibility for the lost three points of the nation on him. He, however, denounces the claims of critics saying his only responsibility is playing ball, not counting the cards he received. No one has yet taken the full responsibility for the reluctance that let the nation pay a huge price.

Personal Highlight:

Minyahil is said to be a fun-loving boy. He is often mentioned as a player with a focus on the bigger picture and deep desire to win.

In Hindsight:

The reluctance related to the participation of Minyahil in a game that he was not eligible for had a price tag of 6,400 dollars, in current market price, which is equivalent to 120,000Br.