Mengistu Worku

Mengistu Worku (Amharic: መንግስቱ ወርቁ; 1940 – 16 December 2010) was an Ethiopian footballer, recognised as one of the best Ethiopian footballer in history with Luciano Vassalo and Ydnekatchew Tessema. He is best known for his role in the final of the 1962 African Nations Cup, and for being the head coach to take the Ethiopian national football team to the African Nations Cup in Libya in 1982.[1][2]

This article is about a person whose name includes a patronymic. The article properly refers to the person by his given name, Mengistu, and not as Worku.

Mengistu Worku
Personal information
Date of birth 1940
Date of death 16 December 2010 (aged 69–70)
Place of death Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1956–1972 Saint George S.C.
National team
1959–1970 Ethiopia 98 (61)
Teams managed
Saint George S.C.
1980–1982 Ethiopia
Ethiopian Insurance F.C.
EEPCO F.C.
CBE SA
Wonji Sugar
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

During the 1962 African Nationals Cup, Mengistu scored 1 goal in the final of the 3rd African cup against Egypt, when Ethiopia won their only major trophy to date. Ethiopia finished as top scorer of that tournament with 4 goals on the final day. He debuted with Saint-George SA in 1957 and remained with the club for the entirety of his career. Mengistu was given numerous, offers to play professionally for teams in Italy and France, as well as Egypt's El Zamalek, but like earlier legend and coach Ydnekatchew, he refused all offers and stayed in Ethiopia wearing Saint George's characteristic "V" across his chest. Mengistu wore the number 8 for the entirety of his club and national team career. His international career began in 1958 and ended in 1970, following disappointment in the 7th African Nations cup in Sudan, where Ethiopia finished bottom of their group. He still managed to score 3 goals, the only Ethiopian goals in that tournament. Mengistu played 2 more years with Saint George, retiring in 1972. He is the seventh-highest scorer in the history of the African Cup Of Nations with 10 goals.

Mengistu coached the national team after retirement, but the team failed to match the success it found during his playing days. He did, however, coach the country to their first-ever CECAFA cup title in 1987, when the tournament was hosted by Ethiopia.

In 2001, Mengistu was struck by a tumor, and doctors had told him he had only months to live. With treatment unavailable in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi paid for Mengistu to travel to South Africa for treatment. "It was because of Al Amoudi that I am standing before you today," he said on Ethiopian television.

At the 2002 CECAFA Cup, Mengistu was honored before the tournament kickoff by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association, along with five other east African footballers and three referees, including Tesfaye Gebreyesus, the Ethiopian who refereed at three ACN tournaments.

Career statistics

International goals
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Scores and results list Ethiopia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ethiopia goal.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
1 14 January 1962 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  Tunisia 4–2 1962 Africa Cup of Nations
2 21 January 1962 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  United Arab Republic 4–2 4–2 1962 Africa Cup of Nations
3 13 May 1964 Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece  Greece 1–2 1–3 Friendly
4 19 February 1967 Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan  Kenya 1–0 2–0 1967 East African Friendship Cup
5 2–0
6 16 January 1968 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  Algeria 1–0 3–1 1968 Africa Cup of Nations
7 19 January 1968 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  DR Congo 1–2 2–3
8 4 May 1969 Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  Sudan 1–1 1–1 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 8 February 1970 Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan  Cameroon 1–0 2–3 1970 Africa Cup of Nations
10 2–3
11 10 February 1970 Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan  Ivory Coast 1–2 1–6

Honors

Individual

Sources
  1. Mamo Gebrehiwot, "Ethiopia Football: Legendary Footballer Mengistu Worku has died", EthioSports website (accessed 26 December 2010)
  2. Gonderew, Ethiopia’s Football Legend Mengistu Worku Passes at 70 (1940–2010), Ethiosun (accessed 4 June 2011)
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