Hadiya Hossana 1–0 Hawassa City | Ethiopia Premier League | 9 May 2026

Hadiya Hossana edged past Hawassa City 1–0 in an Ethiopia Premier League encounter at the Hadiya Stadium on Friday night. A second-half penalty decided a tight contest that keeps Hadiya in the top half of the table, while Hawassa remain mired in a relegation battle.

Tight First Half

Both sides cancelled each other out for much of the opening 45 minutes. Hawassa City, desperate for points, defended deep and looked to hit on the counter. Hadiya Hossana, playing in front of a passionate home crowd, had the better of the possession but struggled to break down a compact visiting defence.

The best chance of the half fell to Hadiya forward Dawit Tilahun, whose header from a corner was cleared off the line by a Hawassa defender.

Second-Half Drama

The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute when Hadiya Hossana earned a penalty. Abubeker Nassir was brought down while attempting to turn and shoot inside the box. Up stepped captain Getaneh Kebede, who sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and slotted into the bottom corner.

Hawassa City pushed forward in search of an equaliser, throwing bodies forward. Hadiya’s defence, led by centre-back Sisay Bancha, remained resolute. The hosts saw out five minutes of stoppage time to secure a valuable three points.

League Implications

• Hadiya Hossana move up to 6th place with 28 points, just four points behind the top five.
• Hawassa City drop to 13th place, only two points above the relegation zone with five matches to play.

For Hadiya, this win breathes life into their hopes of finishing in the upper half. Hawassa City will need to improve their away form – they have now lost four consecutive matches on the road.