Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Mengistu Worku, Ethiopia’s greatest footballer of all time and the last head coach who took the Ethiopian national football team to the African Nations Cup in Libya in 1982, has returned here after two years of medical treatment in Bangkok, wrote Michael Samson of the weekly English newspaper, The Capital.
Mengistu, 70, is currently resting at Bete-Zata Hospital, close to Addis Ababa stadium where the living legend made a name for himself as the nation’s best ever footballer of all time.
The 3rd African Cup winner has been in Bangkok for two years undergoing medical treatment but his condition has worsened, wrote the paper. Mengistu is said to have returned home along with a medical doctor and special medical equipments for follow-up treatment.
Saint George FC’s patron, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has covered all the medical expenses for the legendary player.
Mengistu spent his entire club playing career for Saint George FC, where he started at the age of 16. Â He played 98 times for the Ethiopian national team and scored a record 61 goals. He played a pivotal role in helping Ethiopia win its only African Nations Cup when the third edition was held here in 1962. As a player, Mengistu has taken part in 6 African Nations Cup tournament (1959-1970) and scored 10 goals.
After he retired from playing, Mengistu took up coaching where he served as head of St. George, Ethiopian Airlines and EEPCO among others and he is the last Ethiopian coach to take a team to the African Nations Cup when it was held in Libya in 1982.
Mengistu was a complete player. He can dribble and pass precise balls. His left foot was as lethal as his right, and he had such an incredible jumping and heading ability for a player who was not that tall.
A fearless warrior who sacrificed his body and was often victim of vicious tackles from defenders who cannot control him.
EthioSports.com would like to take this moment to ask the thousands of our website’s daily visitors to keep this giant of a man and an Ethiopian hero in their prayers.
Gashe Mengistu, May the Good Lord be with you and your family in this trying times.
The most famous footballer of all his contemporaries. I did not see him playing but listened to matches’ broadcasters telling about this miraculous footballer. Let God bless him
oh hank god our hero cameback! tena yistih ena mechiwun ye ethiopian egir kuas hiywet tay zend mignote new!
Your name will stay above your grave forever because you are an Ethiopian football hero. May God be with you, and you are always in our prayers. Thank you Mengistu Worku.
Thank you EthioSport to remember the great man.I never seen Mengistu Worku in my live, but I feel that he growth up with me.It is good that he is an Ethiopian I always pround of him. It is hard to find a man like him.God bless you and your family.
May God be with you!!
Wellcome back home. Gash Mengistu- Hope all well for you-
My best wishes adn May God will allways with you
We love you!
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I was blessed to watch this amazing man play football for St. George and the national team. He was our idol, our hero, and our role model when it comes to football. He is our Menge, “Doctor”, “Fitawraree”, “Gonderew”, and “Numero 8″. It is difficult to express his talent and performance when he plays in the field. He is prudent and knows what to do with the ball once he gets in touch with it. He driblls amazingly, he runs fast, he jumps incedibly high, and he uses his head, his right and left feet to score lovely goals. Watching Menge play in the stadium is like watching a great movie or a wonderful show. It was not just about the football per se. He adds more flovor to the art of football with his body movement, his skills, and his overall performance.
Menge desreves more than verbal appreciation. He made us be proud of our Ethiopian citizenship through the love of his country which he expressed in his devotion when he palyed for the Ehtiopian Naitonal team. Mengistu never played for money-No! No!- He played for the love of his country and his team.
MWT
Menge- We all love you and we keep you in our prayers.
May God be with you,
“…..May God and His Angels Be At Your Bedside…
Our Ever Memorable Ethiopian Pele…The Doctor
No.8…Dr.Mengistu Worku…Irreplaceble Ethiopian
Diamond…”
Best Wishes and God Be with You.
G.M. Boston , Ma. , U.S.A.
Thank you for bringing this News here. I have a photographic memory of Menge while playing for St.George and Ethiopian National Team. I honestly believe, Mengistu Worku is a player who was born and raised at the wrong time and wrong place. Thanks to Sheik Mohammed Alamudin. Without him, he (Mengistu Worku)And for that matter we his fans wouldn’t have been able to pay his medical bills. As Ato Mamo said. At least let us pray for him. The almighty God be with you Menge. We love you! God loves you too.
What a footballing icon Mengistu was. I have never seen him play but my father when ,he talks about foot ball, he is always forced to name Mengistu and he called my elder brother Mengistu because of the love he had for him. Mengistu Worku was a very intelligent individual not just foot baller. I have followed his remarks and interviews for long and they always amaze me for their truthfulness, boldness and clarity. Mengistu is not subservient to any power or anything except the truth. One day a newspaper asked him: ” how is it that we win in African youth competitions while we loose big time in senior matches?” Mengistu retorted jokingly ” How do you expect an Ethiopian youth team composed of 27+ year olds to loose against 16 year old African youth teams?”. That was super amazing. The other character of Mengistu that amazes me was the fact that he was unfazed by the scores of reckless tackles he receives from defenders as player in an era when foul call by referees were a bare minimum and reckless tackles were taken as normal play. In his own memo, Mengistu revealed that tackles never let him loose temper or loose focus of the game, they never let him loose initiative to score. he said he remains the same despite the numerous tackle he receives. What a bravery. Mengistu is a special man.
… i got chance to be near by mengistu worku & am trying to help him with all my proffesion…now he is getting well..by the way he is currently in Bethel teaching general hospital,ETHIOPIA with great care & intesive follow up….wish all the best…be strong our legend…
I would like to thank the author of this article for showing a genuine love and respect for the great Mengistu Werqu. Mengistu, together with the likes of Luciano,was an amazing breed of a warior who again and again filled our hearts with joy and pride. No words will be enough for me to express the excitment and anticipation that used to engulf the stadium the moment spectators spotted him among the players as the players first get into the field. Fans of the opponent team were nervous when they found out that he was playing that day, but they sure wouldn’t want him not to be there – he always gave them their money’s worth. May the Almighty comfort my gaceful hero in these difficult days.
I also have heard a lot about Mengistu Worku. I remember a friend talking about Mengistu’s spectacular goal with heading by jumping above two giant defenders when Ethiopia played against Zaire in the 6th African Cup of Nations. Though, Ethiopia lost to that game, Mengistu scored a memorable goal with heading and he displayed a world-class talent throughout the entire tournament. I myself was not able to watch this great player play, but I was able to see him coaching the Ethiopian national team which had made it to the 13th African cup of nations. Ethiopia qualified for this tournament by defeating Guinea who were the best team in Africa back then. Mengistu made a very organized and talented team at that time and Ethiopia would have been champion of the nations’ cup had numerous players not requested asylum in Ivory Coast on their way back home from Guinea. Mengistu had to make another new team for the tournament in Libiya.
May the Lord grant him peace and grace at this difficult time!!!
Same here, I grew up listening to many of his accomplishments.
He is a friend to my father and a father of my friend’s wife.
I hope he will make a full recovery and live many more years!
Let’s keep him in our prayers!!
EthioSports – Ethiopia Football: Legendary Player & Coach Mengistu ……
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It is great to see that this man is being honored by ethiosports. I grew up hearing amazing stories about the great Mengistu Werku from my father, and I feel like I know him personally.
Thank you for honoring this great man. We must honor those who have contributed to our nation.