Mengistu Worku

Mengistu Worku (Amharic: መንግስቱ ወርቁ; 1940 – 16 December 2010) was an Ethiopian footballer, recognised as one of the best Ethiopian footballers in history with Luciano Vassalo and Yidnekatchew Tessema. He is best known for his role in the final of the 1962 African Nations Cup, and for being the head coach to take the Ethiopia national team to the African Nations Cup in Libya in 1982.

Career

During the 1962 African Nations Cup, Mengistu scored one goal in the final of the 3rd African cup against Egypt,Template:Efn when Ethiopia won their first major trophy. He was named player of the tournament, the first Ethiopian to claim that award. Ethiopia scored the most in that tournament with four goals on the final. He debuted with Saint-George SA in 1957 and remained with the club for the entirety of his career. Mengistu was given numerous offers to play professionally for teams in Italy's Serie A and France, as well as Egypt's El Zamalek, but like earlier legend and coach Ydnekatchew, he refused all offers and stayed in Ethiopia wearing Saint George's characteristic "V" across his chest. Mengistu wore the number 8 for the entirety of his club and national team career. His international career began in 1958 and ended in 1970, following disappointment in the 7th African Nations cup in Sudan, where Ethiopia finished bottom of their group. He still managed to score three goals, the only Ethiopian goals in that tournament. Mengistu played two more years with Saint George, retiring in 1972. He is the seventh-highest scorer in the history of the African Cup of Nations with ten goals.

Mengistu coached the national team after retirement, but the team failed to match the success it found during his playing days. He did, however, coach the country to their first-ever CECAFA cup title in 1987, when the tournament was hosted by Ethiopia.

In 2001, Mengistu was struck by a tumor, and doctors had told him he had only months to live. With treatment unavailable in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Al Amoudi paid for Mengistu to travel to South Africa for treatment. "It was because of Al Amoudi that I am standing before you today," he said on Ethiopian television.

At the 2002 CECAFA Cup, Mengistu was honored before the tournament kickoff by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association, along with five other east African footballers and three referees, including Tesfaye Gebreyesus, the Ethiopian who refereed at three ACN tournaments.

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Ethiopia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Worku goal.

List of international goals scored by Mengistu Worku

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	Template:Dts	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Tunisia	flag alias = Flag of Tunisia.svg	flag alias-1959 = Flag of Tunisia (1959–1999).svg	flag alias-old = Tunisian flag till 1831.svg	border-old =	flag alias-bey = Flag of Tunis Bey-fr.svg	Tunisian National Navy	link alias-army = Tunisian Army	link alias-air force= Tunisian Air Force	Tunisian National Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}		4–2	1962 Africa Cup of Nations
2	Template:Dts	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Template:Country data UAR	4–2	4–2	1962 Africa Cup of Nations	Template:Efn
3	Template:Dts	Accra Sports Stadium, Accra, Ghana	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Tunisia	flag alias = Flag of Tunisia.svg	flag alias-1959 = Flag of Tunisia (1959–1999).svg	flag alias-old = Tunisian flag till 1831.svg	border-old =	flag alias-bey = Flag of Tunis Bey-fr.svg	Tunisian National Navy	link alias-army = Tunisian Army	link alias-air force= Tunisian Air Force	Tunisian National Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}		4–2	1963 Africa Cup of Nations
4	Template:Dts	Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Greece	flag alias = Flag of Greece.svg	flag alias-old = Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg	flag alias-1970 = Flag of Greece (1970-1975).svg	flag alias-royal = State flag of Greece (1863–1924;1935–73).svg	flag alias-otto = Naval Royal Standard of Greece (1858-1862).svg	flag alias-army = Hellenic Army War Flag.svg	link alias-army = Hellenic Army	border-army=	flag alias-air force=Fin Flash of Greece.svg	link alias-air force=Hellenic Air Force	flag alias-royalnavy = Naval Ensign of Kingdom of Greece.svg	link alias-naval = Hellenic Navy	flag alias-navy = Flag of Greece.svg	link alias-navy = Hellenic Navy	link alias-military = Hellenic Armed Forces	link alias-royalnavy = Royal Hellenic Navy	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = old }}	1–2	1–3	Friendly
5	Template:Dts	Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Kenya	flag alias = Flag of Kenya.svg	flag alias-colonial = Flag of Kenya (1921–1963).svg	flag alias-kdf = Flag of the Kenya Defence Forces.svg	flag alias-1895 = Flag of Kenya (1895–1921).svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Kenya.svg	link alias-naval = Kenya Navy	flag alias-military=Flag of the Kenya Defence Forces.svg	link alias-military=Kenya Defence Forces	flag alias-navy=Presidential Colour of the Kenyan Navy.svg	link alias-navy=Kenya Navy	flag alias-air force = Air Force Ensign of Kenya.svg	link alias-air force= Kenya Air Force	flag alias-army = Flag of the Kenyan Army.svg	link alias-army = Kenya Army	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}	1–0	2–0	1967 East African Friendship Cup
6				2–0
7	Template:Dts	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Algeria	flag alias = Flag of Algeria.svg	flag alias-1830 = Flag of France (1794-1815).svg	flag alias-1958 = Flag of Algeria (1958-1962).svg	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Algeria.svg	link alias-naval = Algerian National Navy	link alias-air force = Algerian Air Force	link alias-army = Algerian Land Forces	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Algeria.svg	link alias-navy = Algerian National Navy	link alias-military = Algerian People's National Army	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = }}	1–0	3–1	1968 Africa Cup of Nations
8	Template:Dts	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Template:Country data DRC	1–2	2–3	1968 Africa Cup of Nations
9	Template:Dts	Hailé Sélassié Stadium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Sudan	flag alias = Flag of Sudan.svg	flag alias-1956 = Flag of Sudan (1956-1970).svg	flag alias-air force = Ensign of the Sudanese Air Force.svg	link alias-air force = Sudanese Air Force	flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Sudan.svg	link alias-naval = Sudanese Navy	flag alias-army = Flag of the Sudanese Army (1956–present).png	link alias-army = Sudanese Army	flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Sudan.svg	link alias-navy = Sudanese Navy	flag alias-military = Insignia of the Sudanese Armed Forces.svg	link alias-military = Sudanese Armed Forces	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = 1956 }}	1–1	1–1	1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	Template:Dts	Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Cameroon	flag alias = Flag of Cameroon.svg	flag alias-1957 = Flag of Cameroon (1957-1961).svg	flag alias-1961 = Flag of Cameroon (1961-1975).svg	link alias-military = Cameroon Armed Forces	Cameroon Army	link alias-air force = Cameroon Air Force	size =	name =	altlink = national football team	variant = 1961 }}	1–0	2–3	1970 Africa Cup of Nations
11				2–3
12	Template:Dts	Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum, Sudan	{{ Template:Yesno	alias = Ivory Coast	flag alias = Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg	flag alias-1959 = Flag of Côte d'Ivoire (WFB 2009).gif	flag alias-2004 = Flag of Cote d'Ivoire (2004 World Factbook).gif	size =	variant =	name =	altlink = national football team }}	1–2	1–6	1970 Africa Cup of Nations

Honors

International

Ethiopia

• Africa Cup of Nations: 1962

Individual

• Africa Cup of Nations Best Player: 1962

External links

• RSSSF entry
• Egypt vs. Ethiopia
• Template:PAGENAMEBASE – FIFA competition record (archived)Template:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
• Template:Trim Template:Replace on YouTube