{{Short description|Association football club in Ethiopia}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Defence Force | image = | upright = | fullname = Mechal Sport Club | nickname = TORU | founded = {{start date and age|1938|df=y}} | ground = Addis Ababa Stadium | capacity = 20,000 | chairman = Ato Emanuel Fentahun | manager = Yohannes Sahle | league = Ethiopian Premier League | season = 2024–25 | position = Higher League, 10th | pattern_la1 = _yellowshoulders | pattern_b1 = | pattern_ra1 = _yellowshoulders | leftarm1 = 007733 | body1 = 007733 | rightarm1 = 007733 | shorts1 = ffff00 | socks1 = ff0000 | pattern_la2 = _yellowshoulders | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = _yellowshoulders | leftarm2 = ff0000 | body2 = ff0000 | rightarm2 = ff0000 | shorts2 = ffff00 | socks2 = 007733 | website = https://mechalsportclub.com/ }}
'''Mechal Sport Club''' (Amharic: መከላከያ '''Mekelakeya'''), officially known as Defence Force Sport Club, is an Ethiopian professional football club based in the city of Addis Ababa.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Ethiopia 2006/07|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/ethi07.html|url-status=live|access-date=April 6, 2021|website=rsssf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105054214/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/ethi07.html|archive-date=2007-01-05}}</ref> They play in the Betking Ethiopian Premier League, the first division of professional football in Ethiopia.<ref name=":1" /> The team, formerly named Army SC and Mechal SC, is the second most decorated club in Ethiopian football history behind Saint George.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Takele|first=Tewodros|date=June 11, 2021|title=መከላከያ ስፖርት ክለብ ሲምፖዚም አካሂዷል|work=Soccer Ethiopia|url=https://soccerethiopia.net/football/67937|access-date=June 12, 2021|archive-date=June 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611123927/https://soccerethiopia.net/football/67937|url-status=live}}</ref>
== History == Mekelakeya is historically the second most successful club in Ethiopian football history with 11 top division titles, with the most recent coming in 1989. Their dominance in the early years of Ethiopian football was cemented with six titles in the span of eight years from 1949 to 1956. After relative dormancy in the 1960s and 1970s, the club returned to its dominant ways in the 1980s by winning four titles. The club also has enjoyed success in the Ethiopian Cup, winning it 13 times. Defense beat Hawassa City 2–0 to win the 2015 Ethiopian Cup for a record 13th time and for the second time in three years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.soka25east.com/ethiopia-defensemekelakeya-lift-ethiopia-football-federation-cup-for-a-record-13th-time/|title=Defense(Mekelakeya) lift Ethiopia Football Federation Cup for a record 13th time|last=Okinyo|first=Collins|date=September 27, 2015|work=soka25east|access-date=May 22, 2018|archive-date=May 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522113542/http://www.soka25east.com/ethiopia-defensemekelakeya-lift-ethiopia-football-federation-cup-for-a-record-13th-time/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Defense entered the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup as the runners-up in the 2016 Ethiopian Cup. They were knocked out of the tournament by Cameroonian side Yong Sports Academy 2–1 on aggregate in the preliminary round.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.soka25east.com/2017-caf-confederations-cup-preliminary-round-summary/|title=2017 CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round summary|last=Chuma|first=Festus|date=February 20, 2017|work=soka25east|access-date=May 22, 2018|archive-date=May 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522111617/http://www.soka25east.com/2017-caf-confederations-cup-preliminary-round-summary/|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 30, 2018, the club was involved in a match where they were awarded a goal that their opponents, Welwalo Adigrat University, disputed. An altercation followed that ultimately led to a member of the Welwalo coaching staff physically attacking the referee.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 1, 2018|title=Referee attacked by Ethiopian footballers for goal decision|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43963681|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-date=July 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702222054/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43963681|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2021, the club was promoted back into the Ethiopian Premier League after a successful campaign in the second division.
==Crest== <gallery class="center"> File:Defense Force SC (logo).png|logo </gallery>
== Stadium == The club plays its home matches at Addis Ababa Stadium.
== Departments ==
=== Active departments ===
* Women's Football Team * Football Team (U17)<ref>{{Cite news|last=Mesfin|first=Daniel|date=March 14, 2021|title=የአዲስ አበባ ከ17 ዓመት በታች ውድድር ዛሬ ተጀምሯል|work=Soccer Ethiopia|url=https://soccerethiopia.net/football/65822|access-date=March 17, 2021|archive-date=June 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617223149/https://soccerethiopia.net/football/65822|url-status=live}}</ref> * Football Team (U20)
==Honors==
=== Domestic === *'''Ethiopian Premier League: 11''' ::1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1976, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1989
*'''Ethiopian Cup: 14'''
::1946, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1975, 1982, 1990, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2018
===African=== *'''African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1 appearance''' ::1977 – First Round
*'''CAF Confederation Cup: 2 appearances'''
::2007 – First Round :: ::2017 – Preliminary Round
*'''CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 1 appearance''' ::1976 – Quarter-finals
== Players ==
=== First-team squad === {{Fs start}} {{Fs player|no=1|nat=Ethiopia|name=Teklemariam Shanko|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=2|nat=Ethiopia|name=Ibrahim Hussein|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=13|nat=Ethiopia|name=Abebe Tilahun|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=16|nat=Ethiopia|name=Adisu Tesfaye|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=3|nat=Ethiopia|name=Alemneh Girma|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=10|nat=Ethiopia|name=Mintesnot Kebede|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=2|nat=Ethiopia|name=Shemeles Tegegn|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Kenean Markneh|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=8|nat=Ethiopia|name=Amanuel Yohannes|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=0|nat=Ethiopia|name=Amanuel Teshome|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=25|nat=Ethiopia|name=Behaylu Girma|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=17|nat=Ethiopia|name=Firew Solomon|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=19|nat=Ethiopia|name=Samuel Taye(captain)|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Zacharias Fekre|pos=}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Hailu Girma|pos=}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=|name=Solomon David|pos=}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=|name=Al-Hassan Nuhu|pos=}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=|name=Mohammed Adulahi|pos=}} {{Fs mid}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Solomon Melkie|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=15|nat=Ethiopia|name=Tewodros Tafesse|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Werkneh Dawit|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=24|nat=Ethiopia|name=Eklesyas Girma|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=23|nat=Ethiopia|name=Fikadu Alemu|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=27|nat=Ethiopia|name=Fitsum Gebremariam|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Minyilu Wondimu|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=9|nat=Ethiopia|name=Temesgen Gebrekidan|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Semere Aregaw|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Abnet Yigletu|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Yidnekachew Kidane Beyene|pos=GK}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Muluken Desalegn Degu|pos=DF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ghana|name=Ernest Barfo|pos=FW}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Samuel Saliso|pos=MF}} {{Fs player|no=|nat=Ethiopia|name=Dawit Mamo|pos=}} {{Fs end}}
== Former managers == * {{flagicon|ETH}} Geberemedhin Haile
== Former players == {{Famous|date=May 2024}} * {{flagicon|ETH}} Awol Abdellah<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Gebremariam|first=Abraham|date=June 10, 2014|title=ፕሪምየር ሊግ ፡ ሐረር ሲቲ መድንን ተከትሎ መውረዱን አረጋገጠ|work=Soccer Ethiopia|url=https://soccerethiopia.net/football/296|access-date=March 23, 2021|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206175903/https://soccerethiopia.net/football/296|url-status=dead}}</ref> * {{flagicon|ETH}} Bedaso Hora<ref name=":0" /> *{{flagicon|ETH}} Seyoum Kebede *{{flagicon|ETH}} Faud Ibrahim<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 6, 2021|title=የቀድሞ ተጫዋች ለድሬዳዋ ስታዲየም ድጋፍ አደረገ|work=Soccer Ethiopia|url=https://soccerethiopia.net/football/66279|access-date=April 6, 2021|archive-date=April 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406095140/https://soccerethiopia.net/football/66279|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== <references />
==External links== *[http://www.ethiofootball.com/team/profile.php?teamid=22 Team profile] – ''ethiofootball.com'' *[https://int.soccerway.com/teams/ethiopia/defence/3587 Team profile] – ''soccerway.com''
{{Ethiopian Premier League}}
Category:Football clubs in Ethiopia Category:Football clubs in Addis Ababa Category:1938 establishments in Ethiopia Category:Association football clubs established in 1938 Category:Military football clubs in Ethiopia
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