Two years after fleeing oppression and poverty in his homeland, an Eritrean refugee has shared the top individual prize in South Australia's premier domestic soccer competition.
Alemayo Kebede was awarded the Sergio Melta Medal for best player in the state's Super League, alongside Raiders midfielder Nicholas Orr at a ceremony at the weekend.
Kebede and Orr each received 20 votes, one clear of Campbelltown City captain Vas Parhas.
It is the second time Orr has won the award in a tie, after claiming the honour in 2007 when he played for Para Hills.
For Eritrean international Kebede, the achievement completes an amazing journey after he and his national squad team-mates vanished from a tournament in Kenya, in December 2009.
The squad sought refuge in a Kenyan refugee camp, then relocated to Australia in late 2010.
After months without kicking a ball, the group arrived in Adelaide and dispersed among the local clubs.
Kebede's Croydon Kings finished top of the table this season, but bowed out in the finals series when it lost to grand finalists Adelaide City and eventual premier MetroStars.
Kebede, 25, said winning the award was a surprise.
"I've been in Australia for two years and for the first time being the best player. It was a good season for me and for my team to be champion and yeah I was really happy, even though I didn't expect it," he said.
"I was nervous, even I couldn't walk straight. It's my life, I love soccer and I played for the Eritrean national team under 17s and senior for many years. Yeah, I don't want to stop soccer, I love soccer and I would like to thank everyone, my team-mates who cared for me and encouraged me. I've been here for two years and everyone's friendly and I really enjoy it, I like this team."
The softly-spoken attacker said he had spoken with his family in Eritrea and they were extremely proud of him.
"I called them last night and they were very happy," he said.
Croydon's Mark Brazzale collected the Martyn Crook award for best coach and said Kebede had repaid the club for the work it had done to help him settle into Australian life.
"We've got him a job and we've helped him out in that way and he feels very much at home here ... and that's what we're trying to do. We're a club that's got a bit of multiculture in our club so we're trying to get everybody and have one happy family," he said.
"He's going to be here again next year so we want to build something here. We've got a lot of young guys coming through so we want to have a good side for the next two or three years and he's definitely part of our plans."
Last season two of Kebede's compatriots scored A-League contracts with the now-defunct Gold Coast United club.
Tags: refugees, human-interest, community-and-society, soccer, sa, adelaide-5000, australia, eritrea First posted October 09, 2012 08:55:56