Ethiopia - List of Champions

The first football game was held between European foreigners in Addis Ababa in 1924. During the Italian occupation before World War II, there was no national competition but regional leagues were organised in the seasons 1938/39 and 1939/40 in the provinces Eritrea, Harar, Amara, Scioa (aka Shoa; Addis Ababa championship), and Galla e Sidama.

National Championship

1944    British Military Mission-BMME (Addis Abeba)
1945-47   [no competition]
1948    Key Baher (Asmara)
1949    Army (Addis Abeba)
1950    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1951    Army (Addis Abeba)
1952    Army (Addis Abeba)
1953    Army (Addis Abeba)
1954    Army (Addis Abeba)
1955    Hamassien (Asmara)
1956    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1957    Hamassien (Asmara)
1958    Akale Guzay (Eritrea)
1959    Tele SC (Asmara)
1960    Cotton (Dire Dawa)
1961    Ethio-Cement (Dire Dawa)
1962    Cotton (Dire Dawa)
1963    Cotton (Dire Dawa)
1964    Ethio-Cement (Dire Dawa)  
1965    Cotton (Dire Dawa)       
1966    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1967    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1968    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1969    Tele SC (Asmara) 
1970    Tele SC (Asmara) 
1971    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1972    GS Asmara (Asmara)
1973    GS Asmara (Asmara)
1974    Embassoyra (Eritrea)
1975    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1976    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1977    Medr Babur (Dire Dawa) [aka Railway]
1978    Ogaden Anbassa (Harar)
1979    Omedla (Addis Abeba)
1980    Tegl Fre (Addis Abeba)
1981    Ermejachen (Addis Abeba)
1982    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1983    Cotton (Dire Dawa)
1984    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1985    Brewery (Addis Abeba)
1986    Brewery (Addis Abeba)
1987    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1988    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1989    Mechal (Addis Abeba)
1990    Brewery (Addis Abeba)
1991    St. George (Addis Abeba) [*]
1992    St. George (Addis Abeba) [*]
1993    Mebrat Hail (Addis Abeba)
1994    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1995    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1996    St. George (Addis Abeba)
1997    Ethio-Bunna (Addis Abeba)
National League
1998    Mebrat Hail (Addis Abeba)
1999    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2000    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2001    Mebrat Hail (Addis Abeba)
2002    St. George (Addis Abeba)    
2003    St. George (Addis Abeba)    
2004    Awassa Kenema (Awassa)
2005    St. George (Addis Abeba)    
2006    St. George (Addis Abeba)  
2007    Awassa Kenema (Awassa)   
2008    St. George (Addis Abeba)  
2009    St. George (Addis Abeba)  
2010    St. George (Addis Abeba)   
2011    Ethio-Bunna (Addis Abeba)
2012    St. George (Addis Abeba)   
2013    Dedebit (Addis Abeba)   
2014    St. George (Addis Abeba)   
2015    St. George (Addis Abeba)   
2016    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2017    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2018    Jimma Aba Jifar (Jimma)    
2019    Mekelle 70 Enderta (Mekelle)
2020      abandoned (no champions)
2021    Fasil Kenema (Gondar)
2022    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2023    St. George (Addis Abeba)
2024    Commercial Banks of Ethiopia (Addis Abeba)
2025 

[*] in 1991 and 1992 the championship was abandoned; on both
    occasions, league leaders St. George were awarded the title

Number of Titles (77; national league titles (26) between square brackets)

31 [16] St. George (Addis Abeba) [includes Brewery]

11      Mechal (Addis Abeba) [includes Army; now called Mekelakeya]

 5      Cotton FC (Dire Dawa)

 4      GS Asmara (Asmara) [includes Hamassien] [now in Eritrea]

 3 [ 2] Mebrat Hail (Addis Abeba; aka EEPCO, formerly EELPA)
 3      Tele SC (Asmara) [now in Eritrea]

 2 [ 2] Awassa Kenema (Awassa)
 2 [ 1] Ethio-Bunna (Addis Abeba; aka Coffee) [founded as Yebuna Negat in 1975]
 2      Embassoyra (Eritrea) [includes Akale Guzay] [now in Eritrea]
 2      Ethio-Cement (Dire Dawa)
     
 1      British Military Mission-BMME (Addis Abeba)
 1 [ 1] Commercial Banks of Ethiopia (Addis Abeba)
 1 [ 1] Dedebit (Addis Abeba) 
 1      Ermejachen (Addis Abeba)
 1 [ 1] Fasil Kenema (Gondar)
 1 [ 1] Jimma Aba Jifar (Jimma)   
 1      Key Baher (Asmara; aka Red Sea) [now in Eritrea]
 1      Medr Babur (Dire Dawa; aka Railway)
 1 [ 1] Mekelle 70 Enderta (Mekelle)
 1      Ogaden Anbassa (Harar)
 1      Omedla (Addis Abeba)
 1      Tegl Fre (Addis Abeba)

NB: although reportedly teams from Hararghe and Eritrea did not enter the national championship
    playoff (for the "Ethiopian Cup") before 1953, a 1965 article in the Ethiopian Herald
    expressly stated the 1948 champions were from Eritrea (and thus not the Addis Abeba club
    of the same name).

Shoa (Addis Ababa) Championship

1938    St George
1942    St George
1945    Army
1946    Palaise Portina
1947    Red Sea
1949    St George
1951    Omedla
1952    Omedla
1955    St George  (34 pts)
1956    Metchal
1957    Gimruk
1960    Omedla
1961    Omedla
1962    Omedla
1963    Omedla
1964    Omedla
1965    Metchal

NB: from review article in "Ethiopian Herald" which appeared in 1965; missing years not mentioned

About this document

Thanks to Neil Morrison for data on Shoa (Addis Ababa) championship and to Hans Schöggl for the introductory remarks

Prepared and maintained by Mamo Gebrehiwot for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Mamo Gebrehiwot
Last updated: 13 Oct 2024