Mengistu Worku was an Ethiopian footballer, recognised as one of the best Ethiopian footballers in history with Luciano Vassalo and Yidnekatchew Tessema.
13 Facts About Mengistu Worku
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Mengistu Worku 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.
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Mengistu Worku was named player of the tournament, the first Ethiopian to claim that award.
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Mengistu Worku debuted with Saint-George SA in 1957 and remained with the club for the entirety of his career.
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Mengistu Worku 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.
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Mengistu Worku wore the number 8 for the entirety of his club and national team career.
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Mengistu Worku still managed to score three goals, the only Ethiopian goals in that tournament.
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Saint George 8.
Mengistu Worku played two more years with Saint George, retiring in 1972.
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Mengistu Worku is the seventh-highest scorer in the history of the African Cup of Nations with ten goals.
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Mengistu Worku coached the national team after retirement, but the team failed to match the success it found during his playing days.
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Mengistu Worku did coach the country to their first-ever CECAFA cup title in 1987, when the tournament was hosted by Ethiopia.
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In 2001, Mengistu Worku was struck by a tumor, and doctors had told him he had only months to live.
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At the 2002 CECAFA Cup, Mengistu Worku 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.