Oumed Oukri (right) with Adane Girma

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – His name is Oumed Oukri and he hails from the beautiful region of Gambela, in southwest Ethiopia. He is the midfield dynamo and goal scorer for top Ethiopian Premier League side, Mekelakeya (Defence Force FC), the Army team.

Oumed has scored 3 goals in 6 games in the current Premier League competition, where his team is currently sharing top spot with Ethiopian coffee.

While no one can deny his ability in the domestic league, there were some skeptics who wonder whether he can have the same impact in international competitions. Well, they don’t need to wonder no more. Oumed has finally arrived and there is nothing stopping this young and very promising player.

He was instrumental in Ethiopia’s victory over Kenya delivering a beautiful through pass to Shimelis Bekele which allowed the Hawassa City striker to score his second goal of the game. His thunderous volley shot goal against Malawi is said to be among the candidates for the tournament’s “Best Goals” and he scored a vital goal against Zambia, which proved to be the winning goal of the match for Ethiopia.

When Ethiopia faces the Ivory Coast in the semi-final on Thursday, all eyes will be on Oumed. EthioSports.com wishes him and his teammates great success.