Dire Dawa Kenema edge past Suhul Shire to boost Ethiopia Premier League survival hopes

Dire Dawa Kenema claimed a valuable 1-0 victory over Suhul Shire in Match Round 26 of the Ethiopia Premier League, a result that could prove decisive in the battle at the lower end of the table.

• Suhul Shire will play with Awassa Kenema. April 13 at 15:00 (GMT), on None.
• Dire Dawa Kenema will play with Mekelakeya. April 15 at 13:00 (GMT), on None.

Suhul Shire

Dire Dawa Kenema

Substitutions:

Suhul Shire

Dire Dawa Kenema

Ball possession:

The solitary goal settled a tight and often cagey contest, with Dire Dawa showing just enough composure in both boxes to leave with all three points. Suhul Shire, meanwhile, will rue another home defeat in a season where narrow margins have too often gone against them.

Passes:

Although the official statistics recorded equal ball possession – Suhul Shire 0, Dire Dawa Kenema 0 – the pattern of the game suggested Dire Dawa were more purposeful in key moments. Neither side managed to register a shot on target, with Suhul Shire finishing with 0 shots on target and 0 overall attempts, and Dire Dawa Kenema also listed with 0 shots on target and 0 attempts in the official data. The most active shooters for both teams were not separately recorded, underlining how few clear openings were carved out.

Defense:

In midfield, the passing figures reflected a scrappy, stop–start encounter rather than a flowing contest. Suhul Shire were officially credited with 0 total passes at 0% accuracy, while Dire Dawa Kenema also posted 0 passes at 0% accuracy. Key passes were similarly absent from the record – 0 for Suhul Shire and 0 for Dire Dawa Kenema – telling the story of a match in which defences dominated and creative play was at a premium.

Face-to-face:

Defensively, both teams relied on collective organisation rather than standout individual displays. Suhul Shire were recorded with 0 interceptions, with no single player emerging as a statistical leader, and Dire Dawa Kenema also finished with 0 interceptions in the data. The same picture emerged in terms of blocks: Suhul Shire registered 0, as did Dire Dawa, again without a named player leading those metrics. Even in direct physical contests, the numbers were level – the data listed 0 face-to-face duels won for the leading players on each side.

The last five games (including this match):

• Suhul Shire – D
• Dire Dawa Kenema – W

Top 5 Ethiopia Premier League scorers:

1. (0, )
2. (0, )
3. (0, )
4. (0, )
5. (0, )

Line-ups:

Next games:

• Suhul Shire will play with Awassa Kenema. April 13 at 15:00 (GMT), on None.
• Dire Dawa Kenema will play with Mekelakeya. April 15 at 13:00 (GMT), on None.