Yilma Ketema

Yilma Ketema
Personal information
Date of birth 1945 (age 80–81)[1]
Place of birth Ethiopia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
????–1964 Omedla FC
1964–1965 Aris 5 (0)
1965–1967 Galatasaray
1968 Boston Beacons 5 (1)
International career
1960s Ethiopia 2 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yilma Ketema (born 1945) is an Ethiopian former footballer who played as a forward. He was the first black footballer to play in both the Greek Alpha Ethniki and the Turkish Süper Lig, as well as the first African footballer to play in Greece.[1]

Career

Ketema started his career at Omedla FC in Ethiopia. While playing for Omedla, he was spotted by a Greek expatriate in the country, who alerted Greek club Aris Thessaloniki about the player. He signed for Aris on 3 September 1964, at the age of 19, becoming both the first Ethiopian professional footballer to play in Europe and the first black professional player in Greece.[1] He made his debut for the club in the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup,[1] where he played both matches against Italian side Roma, notably being awarded the man of the match after a 0–0 draw in Thessaloniki, where he had a goal disallowed.[3]

Despite the promising start at Aris, there were bureaucratic issues, including with Ketema's visa due to communication issues with the Ethiopian Football Federation. These were solved by January 1965, but he suffered a knee injury around that time. Shortly before returning from injury, he demanded more money from the club's management, delaying a possible return. Despite attempts to renew his contract, the Greek Football Federation introduced a ban on foreign players in the Greek league, forcing Ketema to leave the club.[1]

Shortly after, he joined Turkish club Galatasaray, where he spent the next two seasons, becoming the first black player to play in the Süper Lig.[1] After leaving Galatasaray, he tried his luck in Austria and the Netherlands, before joining North American Soccer League side Boston Beacons, where he scored one goal in five matches.[3]

International career

Ketema played two matches for the Ethiopia national team, scoring two goals.[3] In 1965, he played in a friendly against his former club Aris.[1]

Personal life

Following his time in Boston, Ketema moved to New York. After a few years there, he settled in Alexandria, Virginia,[3] where he works as a taxi driver.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Αρης: Κατάμα, ο πρώτος Αφρικανός που έπαιξε στην Ελλάδα!" [Aris: Katama, the first African to play in Greece!]. www.gazzetta.gr (in Greek). 1 January 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "NASL-Yelmer Ketema". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Gebrehiwot, Mamo (29 June 2020). "Yilma Ketema, the first Ethiopian Professional Football Player in Europe". Ethiosports. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
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