Negede Hunegnaw is competing in the E-League with Western United this season, and is gearing up for the Finals after navigating a safe passage through the Group Stage.
The Finals will kick off on Wednesday May 25, leading up to the Grand Final being played on the same day as the A-League Men decider on Saturday May 28.
Negede is playing alongside Dylan Campbell in the Green and Black in this year’s competition, and just like his teammate he has one thing on his mind.
“My expectations are really high and I just want to win it all,” he said.
Negede has been keeping an eye the performances of Western United’s A-League Men team and is using that as motivation to help the Club achieve more success in the esports space.
“Seeing how well they were doing in the A-League, it got me curious and I always wanted to play with them. Being that opportunity to represent them in the E-League and try and achieve the same goals they’re achieving in the A-League would be great,” he said.
“It is exciting to represent Western United, especially because of how well they’re doing in the A-League. Our goal is to bring that same energy into the E-League, finish first and win the whole event.”
E-League rules stipulate that each competitor must use two players in their starting XI on FIFA Ultimate Team that play for their real life club, with Negede electing to use Connor Pain and Josh Risdon throughout the group stages.
Negede came through Group B with three wins, a draw and a loss in the five matches, finishing second in the group and advancing to the knockout stages on goal difference.
On the E-League itself, he said it provides the perfect opportunity for competitors to be able to feel what it’s like to represent a professional club and show what they’re made of.
“It gives opportunities for those that are competitive and want to represent a Club and been wanting to do that since they were young,” he said.
“It gives people an opportunity to represent their hometown club or the club they’ve been going for for a while. It provides them with that opportunity and allows them to showcase their talent.”
Negede and Dylan will be attacking the E-League Finals head first on Wednesday, with the winner not only claiming the E-League title but also earning qualification to the EA Sports FIFA Global Series.
All of the E-League Finals action will be streamed live on the E-League Twitch channel, allowing United fans to tune in and watch Negede and Dylan’s progress through the tournament.
