Founded in 1982, Dire Dawa City S.C. is one of Ethiopia’s more established clubs from the eastern part of the country. While their trophy cabinet remains sparse, the team is known for its resilience and passionate local support. Under head coach Asrat Abate, Dire Dawa plays a pragmatic, often conservative brand of football built around defensive structure and quick transitions. They typically line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that allows them to stay compact and counter swiftly.
Strengths: Dire Dawa’s main strength lies in their experienced core — players who have represented Ethiopia on the international stage. Their organization at the back and ability to disrupt midfield play gives them an edge against less structured teams. They are particularly effective at home, where familiarity with conditions and crowd support lift their performance.
Key Players:
Welwalo Adigrat University FC, based in the northern Tigray region, has faced a brutal campaign in the 2024–25 season. Sitting at the bottom of the table, Welwalo has struggled to find consistency both defensively and offensively. With only one win from 20 matches and a goal difference of -18, the team’s survival hopes are hanging by a thread.
Strengths: While the team lacks star power, they do possess youthful energy and a never-say-die attitude. Their best moments come when pressing high and forcing mistakes, but those flashes have been few and far between.
Key Players: Due to the lack of standout performers or international call-ups, Welwalo relies heavily on collective effort. Their ability to stay in games depends largely on defensive grit and rare counter-attacks. Specific standout names remain under the radar, reflecting their developmental and university-based squad model. By the way, many bettors use a promo code for 1xbet before making their first bet — it adds extra balance instantly.
Dire Dawa enters the match with both psychological and tactical advantages. They are unbeaten in their last five home fixtures and have a spine of experienced professionals who can manage high-pressure scenarios. In contrast, Welwalo Adigrat arrives winless in over two months and visibly short on confidence.
Expect Dire Dawa to control the tempo early, utilizing midfield anchors to dominate possession and initiate fast breaks. Welwalo will likely sit deep, looking to absorb pressure and spring counters — though their lack of firepower up front makes it difficult to see them scoring more than once.
This is likely to be a match of attrition rather than spectacle, where set pieces and defensive discipline could decide the outcome.
Dire Dawa are likely to control this match with their experienced midfield and stronger defensive setup, especially at home. Welwalo Adigrat struggle to create chances and have the worst goal-scoring record in the league.
Total score Under 2.5
Handicap -1.0 for Dire Dawa
Both teams to score - No offers excellent value.
For added safety, Asian Handicap -0.75 on Dire Dawa looks strong.
Place a bet on the line of 1xBet with odds of 1.81 for a Dire Dawa win.
