A press conference was held ahead of the Toto Cup Final: “We’re facing an excellent opponent, and we want to be the ones celebrating at the end of the night”
Head coach Elyaniv Barda and defender Shahar Piven shared their thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s (Tuesday, 20:30) Toto Cup Final at Sammy Ofer Stadium.
“Thirteen years without a title? I don’t really feel it,” opened the coach. “Hapoel Tel Aviv is a big club that wants to get back to competing for trophies, and that’s something we’re working to normalize”.
On the opponent, Beitar Jerusalem: “We’re playing against a very good team. We faced them in the league this season, and it was an even, intense match. We know who we’re up against, we know it’s a game for a title, and we’ll try to give everything”.
Regarding the absence of Fernand Mayembo, who will serve a suspension: “Tomorrow, it’s still 11 versus 11 at kickoff. Mayembo is suspended, but I’m confident whoever replaces him will do a great job. Shahar Piven is set to wear the captain’s armband tomorrow”.
On the number of goals conceded this season, Barda said: “We’ve conceded 11 goals so far - that’s a lot for the defensive style we want to play. We’re working on it, trying to maintain what’s good and improve what isn’t. Tomorrow, of course, we’ll aim to keep a clean sheet”.
Shahar Piven: “We can really feel our fans - at home and away. They’re hungry for success, wins, and trophies. Our job is to repay them on the pitch. I hope the better team wins - and that it’s us. We know what needs fixing and we’re preparing ourselves in the best physical and tactical way”.
The defender, who will captain the team tomorrow, added: “It’s a great honor to be captain of Hapoel Tel Aviv. It’s a huge privilege and I’m grateful for the trust. I believe I have the tools and experience to help lead the way professionally. We have a tough task ahead of us tomorrow, we’ll need to unite, and I hope we’ll be the ones celebrating at the end of the night”.
The youth team claimed their fifth consecutive victory, defeating Ramat HaSharon 2–0 on Saturday, with goals from Moskovitz and Mesika. Here’s the full match report
Riding a wave of momentum after four straight wins, Hapoel’s youth side hosted Hapoel Ramat HaSharon in the 8th round of the Israeli Youth Premier League, looking to make it five in a row.
After 75 minutes without a goal, substitute Alon Moskowitz broke the deadlock with a strike from outside the box, his first goal of the season. Hapoel didn’t let up, and in the 94th minute, another substitute, Or Mesika, doubled the lead with his third goal of the campaign. Final score: Hapoel 2–0 Ramat HaSharon.
Thanks to this win, Shahar Vizenger’s squad temporarily climbed to the top of the table (before the round concluded) with 18 points from 24 possible. Next Saturday (Nov 1), they’ll face Maccabi Petah Tikva in a top of the table clash.
Played for Hapoel: Yinal Bazadog, Guy Eligolashvili, Elad Ben Shimon, Giorgi Kuperva, Emanuel Zauda (Ilay Mori, 45’), Yishai Brosh, Itamar Hosid, Idan Kapellner (Alon Moskovitz, 62’), Ben Zaid (Mkay Benbenisty, 54’), Shahar Nahum (Ravid Olezki, 70’), and Omri Levi (Or Mesika, 54’).
The full youth squad, fixtures, and updates are available on our official app.
The team’s head coach and captain spoke at a press conference ahead of the match against Maccabi Netanya: “We’ll need to approach it with the same focus and readiness we had before the derby”
Ahead of Saturday’s (October 25, 20:00) match against Maccabi Netanya at Netanya Stadium, head coach Elyaniv Barda and captain Fernand Mayembo met with the media to share their thoughts following the cancellation of the Tel Aviv derby and their preparation for the upcoming game.
Head coach Elyaniv Barda opened by addressing the canceled derby: “To be honest, I didn’t even make it out to the pitch - I was still in the coaches’ room at the time. We came fully prepared and focused for the derby, and all along we wanted it to be played and decided on the field. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen that evening. The club’s representatives are handling the matter”.
“I believe that this match is the best thing Israeli football has to offer - in terms of exposure and public interest,” the coach added. “Football must protect its best product, which is the Tel Aviv derby, and it has to be decided on the pitch - no question about it”.
When asked about shifting focus from the canceled match to the next one, he said: “At the end of the day, we’re here to talk about the upcoming match against Maccabi Netanya. Some things are in our control, and some aren’t — what’s in our control right now is what will happen on Saturday. We have to disconnect from what happened and prepare in the best possible way. The derby’s cancellation doesn’t change our preparation; we want to come into this one with the same intensity we had on Sunday.”
On the upcoming opponent: “Netanya are a strong side - they earned a well-deserved win at Sammy Ofer last week. They have a deep squad and good quality, and we’ll arrive ready. The last match between the teams? This one won’t be the same - both we and Netanya have changed significantly since then.”
On the team’s long-term goals: “We’re in matchday eight - for us it’s the seventh - and we’re not looking too far ahead. We just want to keep collecting points, play good football, stay on our path, and represent the club with pride. This isn’t the time to think about how the table looks”.
On player fitness: “We had a few players dealing with minor issues before the derby, and now they’ve had a few extra days to recover. I can promise that we’ll always have 11 fit players on the pitch - everyone who plays will be at 100%”.
Team captain Fernand Mayembo opened his remarks by addressing the fans regarding the derby incident: “I want to tell our amazing fans that we’re with you in all of this. We’re together — if something happened, it happened to all of us”.
“I’m proud to be the captain of Hapoel Tel Aviv,” he added. “I’m happy with my role and the responsibility that comes with it”.
On the upcoming match against Maccabi Netanya: “We’re coming to win - I don’t know any other option. Our goals are clear: we want to win every match and finish as high as possible”.
A football match was held in memory of the team supporter who fell about a year ago during the fighting in Gaza. Assaf Tzur attended to honor the family and friends
This past Monday, an event was held in memory of the late Eyal Avnion, a devoted supporter of the team who fell over a year ago during the fighting in the Gaza Strip.
The event, held in Hod HaSharon - his hometown, included a match between his former club, Maccabi Hod HaSharon, and a team made up of his friends.
Team player Assaf Tzur came to pay his respects to the family and friends.
Eyal Avnion served as a company commander in Battalion 121, 8th Brigade (“Hativat HaZaken”). He was killed in action in the Gaza Strip on July 1, 2024, from an explosive device in central Gaza. He was 25 years old.
The Avnion family - you will never walk alone. Forever together ♾️❤️
Mkay Benbenisty decided it - the players of Shahar Wiziger recorded their fourth straight win. Full match report below
The youth team faced Hapoel Kfar Saba today (Monday) as part of Matchday 7 of the Israeli Premier Youth League, returning to league action after a two-week international break. Hapoel entered the game after three consecutive wins (3;1 over Akko, 2:1 in the derby, and 1:0 over Be’er Sheva), sitting third in the table with 12 points. On the other side, Kfar Saba arrived with seven points in 13th place.
Starting 11 (Coach: Shahar Wiziger): Yanal Bazadog, Ido Aharon (Henley Agbo, 53’), Guy Aligulashvili, Elad Ben Shimon, Giorgi Kuperva, Emmanuel Zauda (Yarin Shyovitz, 80’), Yishai Brosh, Itamar Chosyd, Ben Zaid (Shahar Nahum, 60’), Mackay Benvenisti (Idan Kaplaner, 60’), and Omri Levy.
In the 45th minute, Mackay Benvenisti put Hapoel ahead with the only goal of the match - 1:0 red and a fourth straight victory. Despite the win, Hapoel drops to fourth place due to goal difference behind Hapoel Petah Tikva, standing at 15 points.
This coming Saturday (October 25), the youth team will host Hapoel Nir Ramat Hasharon at the Bat Yam Stadium.
The full squad, fixtures, and results are available on our official app.
A press conference ahead of the Tel Aviv derby: "We’re capable of beating any team on any pitch - we hope our path leads to the result we want”.
Ahead of Sunday’s Tel Aviv derby (19.10, 20:30), head coach Elyaniv Barda and left-back Doron Leidner shared their thoughts ahead of the clash.
“First of all, we were all overjoyed to see the hostages finally return home after two painful years,” opened Barda. “We truly hope this nightmare will soon be behind us, with the return of all the hostages and fallen heroes. Thanks to our brave soldiers, we’ve been able to focus on football and maintain a routine — but in the end, it all pales in comparison to their courage on the battlefield”.
On the rivalry: “The derby is a massive match that every player dreams of playing in. Hapoel Tel Aviv always aims to be a top team, and I hope we’ll prove we deserve that status. As for past derbies - I don’t look back; my focus is only on the future and the path ahead, which I hope will bring success”.
“To win a derby, we’ll have to play a perfect game,” he added. “Our opponent is an excellent side and we respect them, but our team is capable of beating any club on any pitch. Nobody set a specific target for us to ‘win the derby’ this season — we’re a team transitioning from the second division to the top, and our goal is to show the same footballing style we displayed last season. Standards at Hapoel Tel Aviv are high, and our ambitions are limitless”.
On the last match against Hapoel Be’er Sheva: “We lost three points and we’ll have to improve. The compliments were nice, but we came home empty-handed. There’s respect for our style of play, but that doesn’t win matches. I told the players we can’t be a team that’s satisfied with praise”.
Regarding preparation: “The week was extended because many players were away on international duty. We used the time to work on tactical elements and now that they’re back, we’ll complete the final preparations”.
About the fans: “It’s a great feeling to know our fans bought all the tickets so quickly. We have to be worthy of the fans who fill the stands, and hopefully, we can celebrate with them at the end”.
Doron Leidner added ahead of the city clash: “I was here when we couldn’t win the derby but I’m not looking back .We have excellent players, we feel good, and we want to get it done. We’ll need to stay focused for all 90 minutes and execute the small details as best as possible”.
“The mental aspect is huge before the whistle,” said the full-back, “but once the match starts - it’s football, pure and simple. The will to win every game is always there”.
“A derby win can release a lot of emotion throughout the club,” he continued. “Everyone who joins this team immediately understands its importance — the fans make sure of that. Of course, I believe we can win; I don’t think there’s anyone in this squad who doesn’t”.
On his personal journey: “The last two years haven’t been easy. I came here to play, and it took time to get back to myself — but I’m happy I took this opportunity. Yazan is an excellent player, and like every competitor, I enjoy the challenge. It only brings out the best in me”.
The senior women’s squad recorded an emphatic 7:0 victory this evening (Wednesday) over Maccabi Be’er Sheva - with a hat-trick from Eden Avital
After a 2:2 draw in the season opener against Hapoel Be’er Sheva away, Ofer Ben Ze’ev’s team hosted their first home match of the season, as part of Matchday 2 in the National League. The coach made just one change to the lineup - Gil Havazlet started instead of Noa Levy. The visitors arrived after a 3:1 away win over Maccabi Rehovot in their first match.
In the 13th minute, Hapoel took the lead when Eden Avital scored from an assist by Gil Havazlet. Two minutes later, defender Shai Perl doubled the advantage with a beautiful backheel goal from a corner by Ana Chminova - and Hapoel went into halftime up 2:0.
The second half was a red explosion - Avital netted her second of the match off another assist from Chminova, before Roni Ohana scored for the second week in a row to make it 4–0. Avital then completed her hat-trick, and Shira Peniger added her first-ever goal in red. In the 74th minute, Hapoel went down to 10 players after Zohar Cohen was shown a straight red card for a foul on the opposing goalkeeper. Four minutes from time, team captain Ana Cheminava sealed a commanding 7–0 win with her first goal for the club.
Hapoel lineup: Agam Haviv, Shoval Kedoshim, Shai Perl, Thiana Marins, Noa Feniger (70’ Noa Levy), Zohar Cohen, Gil Havazlet, Hadas Prawer (70’ Elia Sharara), Ana Cheminava, Eden Avital, Roni Ohana (77’ Roni Eli).
Next up, the reds will face Maccabi Atlit away. The exact time and date will be announced soon.
Full squad list, fixtures, and league table are available now on our official app.
Eight of our players will represent their national teams during the break
We’ll start with our representatives in the Israel senior national team: Assaf Tzur, who earned his first-ever call-up, and Stav Toriel, who joins the squad for the first time as well. The two will play with the national team against Norway on Saturday (October 11, 19:00) and Italy on Tuesday (October 14, 21:45), two challenging matches in the World Cup qualifying group stage.
Loizos Loizou will play for Cyprus, starting tonight (Thursday, 21:45) against Bosnia, and again on Sunday (October 12, 16:00) against San Marino, as part of the World Cup qualifiers.
Andrian Kraev will feature for Bulgaria, facing Turkey on Saturday (October 11, 21:45) and Spain on Tuesday (October 14, 21:45), also in the World Cup qualifying stage.
The Israel Olympic team (U21) - featuring Ran Benyamin, Dor Binyamini, Mor Buskila, and Daniel Dappa — will play tomorrow (Friday, 19:00) against Slovenia in the U21 Euro qualifying group stage.
Roei Alkukin and Amit Lemkin, who were both called up but suffered injuries in our last match, have been released from the squad.
Good luck to Israel’s national teams and to all our representatives!
