By Staff Reporter,

A footballer’s joy is to be part of his national team donning the colours in International matches.However the dream is achieved through hardwork and determination and one such player who exhibited the traits since joining Ethiopia Walia Ibex in 2005 is non other than Al Ahly hit man Salhadin Said.

Sala as he is popularly known had not been a happy man missing the latter stages of Ethiopia’s Afcon 2015 qualifers where the team was knocked out after a nagging knew injury that kept dogging his comeback in turn enhancing his goal drought for his beloved country.

On Sunday 14^th June 2015 just as the Afcon 2017 qualifier against Lesotho in Barhirdar was in progress there was a near scare as Sala lay down injured and the huge crowd estimated at 70,000 went dead silent but alas the hit man stood up from the knock to proceed with the game.

Ethiopia were hit with a quick sucker punch by Lesotho but Panoch equalized and with the game heading to what would have been a discouraging home draw Salhadin Said in his characteristically poacher instincts rose again scoring hitting home the winner that brought Barhadir stadium to raptures from the near fanatical fans announcing the come of King Sala who was wearing the armband and needed something yes that goal that could lift the pressure from his shoulders so many Ethiopian fans depend on.

“I am definitely happy that first Ethiopia won their home game and it was an important game for me coming back to score the important goal for my country after missing last years last games due to injury”Salhadin Said told Soka25east.com

“As a footballer the pressure is amways immense and today I felt it had been lifted it was a great moment in my career and I want to thank all the Ethiopia fans who turned up in large numbers and supported us to the end even when we were down”he concluded

Salhadin Said has curved a niche for himself as one of Ethiopia’s all time scorer with scoring some very important goals.

In 2011,Salhadin scored five goals in oen game at the Kagame Cup against AS Port of Djibouti.

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com