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 At
first, I wanted to write a paragraph or two about him
as part of the history page of Ethiopian soccer. But that
would have been unfair to the man, who has made great
contribution to the development of soccer in Ethiopia
. He was a player, a coach, an educator, a leader and
above all, he was a fighter for African soccer. I've the
distinct pleasure to have known this giant of a man, whom
I had interviewed several times during my days as a sports
journalist in Ethiopia, in the late 70s.
He was intelligent, witty and fluent in four languages
(Amharic, English, French and Italian). He also studied
Arabic and Swahili. Several articles have been written
about him by the foreign press admiring his dedication
and contribution to Ethiopian and African soccer. Yet,
the man was never fully understood by his own countrymen,
and it wasn't until after his death in 1987, after a long
battle with cancer, that people realized that his death
was a major loss for the country.
The Player
Ydnekachew was the "Puskas" of Ethiopia. Short
and stocky but technically gifted player. I saw him play
in friendly matches for the veteran Ethiopian national
team after he retired. He was older and much heavier than
his playing days but his ball control, accurate passes
and mesmerizing dribbles lead you to believe that he must
have been a really good player in his days.
He joined his first and only club, Saint George, when
he was 14 years old, and it would be another 23 years
before he hanged up his boots. Talking about boots, it
is said that Yidnekachew was the first player in Ethiopia
to have played wearing soccer shoes.
He also played 15 times for the national team (1948-54),
and had scored one goal. But his greatest contribution
to Ethiopian soccer would come later on after his playing
days were over.
The Coach
He served as coach for both the Saint George and the Ethiopian
national teams. A great admirer of the Brazilian soccer,
Ydnekachew brought to Ethiopia a new style of play with
flair and imagination never seen on the continent of Africa.
And it was under his leadership that the team won the
3rd African Nations Cup in 1962.
The 60s were probably the best times in Ethiopian soccer.
It was during this time that St. George emerged as the
number one team in the country. Once again, Ydnekachew,
who was instrumental in the success of the national team,
repeated his magic with his club side.
Team Leader
I guess he must have been asking himself if he was successful
as a player and a coach, why stop there? It is hard to
deal with the ego of one or two good players, but when
you have five or six, the job of a team leader becomes
a big burden. Ydnekachew would use his great talent as
a great communicator and psychologist to balance the power
and create a friendly atmosphere in the team. He served
successfully as team leader for both the St. George and
the Ethiopian national teams.
Founder of Football Federation
Ydnekachew was the co-founder of the first Ethiopian Sports
Office, which would lay the foundation to the creation
of the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) in 1943. Being
a devoted individual that he was, he did everything himself
from translating all the rules and regulations of the
games, to training referees, coaches and administrative
staff. And he did it all with a meager budget of $125,
that he had to borrow.
Ydnekachew was also instrumental in opening the country
to outside contacts and international competitions.
Jack of All Trade
Yidnekachew was indeed a jack of all trade. He did the
first live play-by-play radio commentary from Tel-Aviv
to Ethiopia in 1963 when the two countries played a World
Cup qualifying match. He was also the team leader and
coach at that time.
Biography
- Born
on September 11, 1921 in Jimma, Ethiopia
- Former
athlete and player at Tefferi Mekonnen School-(1927-35)
- Member
of St George club (1935-58)
- Member
of the Ethiopian National Team (1948-54)
- Co-founder
of the first Ethiopian Sports Office, which lay the
foundation to the creation of the Ethiopian Football
Federation (EFF)
- Director
of Sports in Ethiopia (1963-68)
- Assistant
Minister of Sports in Ethiopia (1968-72)
- Commissioner
of Sports and Physical Education in Ethiopia (1976-81)
Yidnekachew's contribution to the game was not limited
to Ethiopia alone. He also served various international
sports bodies as:
- Member
and Vice-President of Confederation Africaine de Football-CAF
(1957-72)
- President
of the Organizing Committee of CAF (1957-87)
- President
of CAF (1972-87)
- President
of the Union of African Sport Confederation
- Honorary
President of the Association of National Olympic Committees
of Africa (ANOCA)
- Member
of the Executive Committee of the Supreme Council for
Sports in Africa
- Member
of several committees in FIFA
- Member
of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC)
Sources
Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF)- 1957-1997,
published by CAF in 1997 to celebrate its 40th year anniversary.
In The World and in the World of Sport, by Tadele Yidnekachew
Tessema. Published by United Publishers in 1998, Addis
Abeba, Ethiopia.
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