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ABSTRACT
This article contextualizes football fandom in Ethiopia during a period of increasing political dissent, drawing on interviews and first-hand observations as well as historical and contemporary media and academic sources. The analysis takes into consideration socio-political realities while presenting the complexity of identity and belonging in contemporary Ethiopia. By engaging with spectator cultures, and the aesthetics of fandom at Ethiopian football stadiums, the article shows that the stadium is a space where Ethiopian fans express their concerns about socio-political injustices, the ethics of the media and police, and about identity and belonging.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Prof. Dr Alessandro Bausi (Universität Hamburg), Abiye Teklemariam, Fisseha Tegegn, Amanuel Tesfaye, Mekdes Gebeyehu and Yoftahe Hailu for their assistance in the completion of this article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Except for names of Ethiopians who have published in European languages, proper nouns, and official names of Ethiopian football clubs, all Amharic words and phrases in the article are transliterated according to the guidelines of the Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. (Refer to Vol. 1, pp. xx–xxi). In addition, Ethiopian authors are cited on a first name followed by a last name basis.
Notes
1 Ayuk, Football, 3.
2 Cf., Zenenga, “Aesthetics”; and Chiweshe, The People’s Game.
3 Nalbandian, I Want to Die with a Flag, 90.
4 See for example: Jonas, The Battle of Adwa.
5 See for example: Bromber, Sports & Modernity in Late Imperial Ethiopia.
6 Sintayehu Tola, “The History of St. George Club,” 4.
7 Ibid., 2.
8 Fǝqru Kidane, The Saint George Sport Club, 39.
9 Prunier, “The Meles Zenawi Era,” 415–37.
10 See Goitom Gebreluel, The Washington Post, December 23, 2019.
11 Guschwan, “Fan Politics,” 388.
12 Dixon, “A ‘Third Way.’”
13 Baller et al., “Visualizing the Game,” 141.
14 Cf.: Irak, “Football Fandom”; and Gilbert, “Tri Vjere.”
15 Fumanti, “Black Chicken.”
16 Pannenborg, How to Win a Football Match in Cameroon, 122.
17 Zenenga, “Aesthetics.”
18 Guschwan, “Fan Politics,” 391.
19 Ibid., 393.
20 Chiweshe, The People’s Game, 42–6.
21 Hirshon, “Social Identity Theory,” 173.
22 Chiweshe, The People’s Game, 42.
23 Giulianotti, Football, 172.
24 Aregawi Berhe, “The Origins of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.”
25 Merera Gudina, “Elections and Democratization in Ethiopia”; Lefort, “Powers”; and Vestal, Ethiopia.
26 Vestal, Ethiopia.
27 Abbink, “Discomfiture of Democracy?”; and Abiye Teklemariam, “The Journalist as Terrorist.”
28 World Bank, “Country Profile.”
29 Alemu Habtu, “Ethnic Federalism”; and Alemante G. Selassie, “Ethnic Federalism.” Aalen’s “Ethnic Federalism” is also important work that studies ethnic federalism and EPRDF’s consolidation of a one-party administration in Ethiopia.
30 Qaläʾab Taddäsä Śǝgatu, Constitution, 377.
31 Addis Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 3, January 17, 1969, 16.
32 Journalist B, April 2016, semi-structured interview.
33 Fǝqru Kidane, The Saint George Sport Club, 20.
34 Johannesburg Post, “Africa’s Greatest Football Clubs: Saint George Football Club,” November 17, 2017. http://www.joburgpost.co.za/2017/11/17/africas-greatest-football-clubs-saint-george-football-club/.
35 Today Šäggar is simply a hip, cool name for Addis Abäba. Further research should be done for etymological foundations of the word.
36 Giulianotti, Football, 10.
37 Institute of Language Studies, Amharic Dictionary, 312.
38 Sintayehu Tola, “The History of St. George Sport Club,” 20; 6.
39 Ibid., 7.
40 Sebhat Gebre-Egziabher, The Night Won’t End, foreword. In addition to Sebhat’s discussion, Haddis Alämayehu’s book Yälǝmžat includes a discussion about the children of Arada; see 163–90.
41 Di Nunzio, The Act of Living, 3.
42 Chappell et al., “Sport,” 40.
43 St. George had to change its name to Birra (Beer) for a brief period during the Därg regime.
44 Gännänä Mäkuriya, EPRP and Sport, 58.
45 Giulianotti, Football, 11.
46 John Aglionby, “Ethiopia’s Most Successful Football Club to Sell Itself to Fans,” Financial Times, June 20, 2018.
47 Sintayehu Tola, “The History of St. George Sport Club,” 23.
48 Fǝqru Kidane, The Saint George Sport Club, 199.
49 Journalist A, January 12, 2019, semi-structured interview.
50 Giulianotti, Football, 12.
51 Journalist A, January 12, 2019, conversation.
52 Gaffney et al., “Sensing the Stadium,” 34.
53 Bunna fan B, October 2017, interview.
54 Giulianotti, Football, 69.
55 See for example the newspaper entries: The Ethiopian Herald, “Ethiopia: Football Hooliganism Looks like a Disease Without Medicine,” 2018; and Ethiosports, “Hooliganism,” 2017.
56 Worancha, “As Ethiopian Premier League Draws to a Close, Violence Mounts,” 2016. https://www.worancha.com/2016/06/as-ethiopian-premier-league-draws-to.html.
57 Gulve, “Football Hooligans.”
58 The Reporter, “The Hooliganism Scare,” October 28, 2017. https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/article/hooliganism-scare.
59 Giulianotti, Football, 73.
60 Gännänä Mäkuriya, EPRP and Sport, 75.
61 Ibid., 80.
62 Ibid., 73.
63 Twitter (photo; accessed December 31, 2018), https://twitter.com/Fasica29/status/1079436038160945155.
64 St. George fan A. January 2019, conversation.
65 For works about Jawar Mohammed, see for example: “Jawar Mohammed: Political Prisoner or Suspected Criminal,” Borkena, April 15, 2021.
66 Taddälä Yǝdnäqaččäw, Yǝdnäqaččäw Täsämma, 28.
67 Ibid., 95.
68 Mills, The Politics of Football in Yugoslavia, 94.
69 Ibid., 82.
70 Addis Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 21, 28, May 23, 1969.
71 Gǝrma Säyfu Maru, Honorable, 17; Qaläʾab Taddäsä Śǝgatu, Constitution, 318; and Journalist A, 13 October 2018, interview.
72 Asafa Jalata’s “Oromo Nationalism” is a good example of discourse in support of ethnic federalism. While Bekalu Atnafu Taye, “Ethnic Federalism” as well as Ottaway “Ethnic Federalism” are examples of discourse against it. For a discussion of public opinion through popular music of the capital city, refer to Hewan Semon Marye, “Ityoṗyawinnät.”
73 Welwalo Adigrat University Open Letter to Ethiopian football federation, May 5, 2018, http://www.ethiosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/welwalo-open-letter-to-media.pdf.
74 Assefa Fiseha, “Theory Versus Practice,” 158.
75 Ibid., 158.
76 Ibid., 157.
77 Fisseha Tegegn (former sports journalist), January 15, 2019, conversation; September 16, 2018, phone interview.
78 Giulianotti, Football, 38.
79 Addis Reporter, vol. 1, no. 21, May 23, 1969.
80 Addis Reporter, vol. 1, no. 3, January 17, 1969.
81 Addis Reporter, vol. 2, no. 2, January 2, 1970.
82 Ibid.
83 YouTube (Seifu Fantahun’s report from the stadium; accessed November 23, 2018). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD7Rx-znk8s.
84 The Economist, August 13, 2016.
85 Mäsqal Square is also Ethiopia’s political and religious center.
86 See for example: Abbink, “Discomfiture of Democracy,” 176.
87 Field notes, June 2013, Addis Abäba.
88 Richard and Gary, “Afterword,” 270.
89 Mohammed Girma, Understanding, 137–86.