By Mekonnen Almaw
Recently, the semi-final matches of the Ethiopian Cup took place.
On Monday, in the Tigray derby, Welwalo Adigrat University defeated Mekelle 70 Enderta in a penalty shootout to advance. Following this, on Tuesday, Sidama Coffee defeated Ethiopian Medhin 4-3 on penalties to reach the final.
These results confirmed that Sidama Coffee and Welwalo Adigrat University will face each other in the Ethiopian Cup final. The winning club will represent Ethiopia in the African Confederation Cup.
However, a controversial incident occurred during the Tuesday match between Ethiopian Medhin and Sidama Coffee.
More than the match itself, the actions of Yared Kassaye—a left-back for both the Ethiopian national team and Ethiopian Medhin—captured attention and angered the sports community.
During the 33rd minute of the game, Ethiopian Medhin’s coach, Gebremedhin Haile, decided to substitute the player. Unhappy with being subbed off, Yared showed a complete lack of sportsmanship. He threw his jersey on the ground in front of his coach, used insulting language, and did not bother to pick up the jersey he had discarded. He then walked directly to the substitute bench, where he continued to insult the coach and got into an argument with team leader Mesfin Ahmed.
This unexpected behavior sparked outrage among many, with people on social media stating, "The reason our country’s football is not growing as it should is because of arrogant players who lack discipline like this, and because they do not face educational consequences for their actions."
What is most surprising is that Yared Kassaye committed this act against Coach Gebremedhin Haile—the very person who acted as a father figure to him and provided him with numerous opportunities to reach this level. Many have labeled him someone who "breaks the plate he ate from."
It is true that the desire to play and emotional intensity are always present in football. However, as a member of the national team and a player broadcast live on national television, failing to control his emotions—without considering what younger players might learn from him—did not please anyone. Instead, it opened the door for heavy criticism and pressure.
Yared Kassaye has since admitted his mistake, expressed his regret, and apologized. He stated: "I sincerely apologize for my emotional behavior. This was not expected of me. I want to apologize to my coach Gebremedhin, my teammates, the club, and the entire sports family. I am deeply sorry for what I did."
However, because the incident took place on a major national stage rather than a neighborhood game, it could not be easily ignored, and immediate actions were taken.
Ethiopian Medhin quickly dismissed the player from their camp, and the Ethiopian Football Federation fined him 10,000 Birr for the disciplinary breach. Additionally, when national team coach Yohannes Sahle called up 23 players for upcoming friendly matches on May 29 and June 2, he left Yared Kassaye out of the squad, reportedly due to this incident.
The player faces the possibility of further disciplinary action, and the situation has divided the sports community.
Some argue, "The club and the federation should impose a strong punishment so that such an arrogant player does not return to the field." Others say, "Yes, what he did on live television was wrong and unacceptable, but because he is a young and promising player, he should be taught a lesson and forgiven."
Whatever the case, this event has become the talk of the town. Will the relevant authorities consider his potential and the fact that humans are prone to mistakes, and forgive him after a period of discipline? Or will they stand by a harsher decision to maintain the quality of football discipline and set an example for others?
Only time will answer how this will end.
