At the age of 19 and in his first full season at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s senior side, Saied Abu Farchi is on the right track. The youth academy graduate who spent last season on loan with Maccabi Bnei Reineh scoring 6 goals in all competitions, made his debut league stat for Maccabi. The versatile forward, whose debut goal for Maccabi was scored at a Toto Cup match against Hapoel Jerusalem and added another in the Europa League phase match against Dinamo Zagreb, played in important role in Maccabi’s 3-1 victory over Ironi Kiryat Shmona at Bloomfield but hasn’t found the back of the net. “I’m happy that I’m starting to break through slowly, and I hope that by the end of the season, I will be one of the leading players on the team” Abu Farchi said after the match. “It’s a great feeling to start in the lineup, it’s emotional. I’m happy about the 3 points. I work very hard in training, and I’m glad I got to start. I just hope to keep going.”

Abu Farchi rejected any claims that Maccabi’s winless streak of five matches in all competitions added pressure to the side: “I don’t think there’s pressure, we come in like we do for every match, regardless of our competitors at the top.”

Having secured a victory against Kiryat Shmona that beat arch-rivals Be’ersheva in the previous round, Abu Farchi said: “Kiryat Shmona is a really good team, they caused us a lot of problems and had chances. We worked hard and showed character, and now we’re looking ahead to the next match against Reineh on Saturday.”

As Maccabi remain unbeaten in the league, the two Europa League defeats to Zagreb and Midtjylland led Abu Farchi to say: “If you look at the teams we lost to, they’re top teams, and we played well in those games, creating chances. The dressing room is in a good place, and everyone lifts each other up. We came to the match and did our job.”

On facing the side Abu Farchi was loaned to last season at the forthcoming weekend, he added: “Overall, it’s a game like any other. It’s a game against the team that gave me the stage. I’m aiming to score, but I won’t celebrate. I’ll respect the team that gave me the stage and helped me progress.”

Abu Farchi, who spent the 2023/24 between Maccabi’s youth team and a six-months-long loan-spell with second division side Kfar Qassem, remained confident: “Even last year when Dor (Turgeman) and Eran (Zahavi) were the strikers, I believed I could play. In general, I don’t focus on who’s in the role with me, and the club doesn’t focus on who’s the name in the role. Whoever works hard and proves themselves will get the opportunity. I’m happy that this year I’m slowly starting to break through, and I hope by the end of the season I will be one of the leading players on the team.”

On his short term and long-term ambitions, Abu Farchi said: “Right now, I’m focused on the current season, and I want to be a regular player at Maccabi Tel Aviv. It’s my dream since I was 7 when I joined the club, and I hope to fulfill it. I want to score as many goals as possible and help the team.”

As for Maccabi’s European aspirations, Abu Farchi summed: “We see small teams surprising big teams like Aston Villa. We come in and look our opponents in the eye. We’re not playing at home, which is really tough, but we’ll try to get as much as we can.”

 

The 22-year-old full back who won the penalty that restored Maccabi’s lead on the way to a 3-1 victory over Ironi Kiryat Shmona at Bloomfield. “It’s not pressure, it’s the desire to win” Revivo said after thr match: “That’s what Maccabi demands and what we, as players, want. There’s still a long way to go, and we know what football is, sometimes you’re down, sometimes up.”

“We played well, but I always want more, for us to play our very best,” Revivo continued. “We’ll sit with the staff, they’ll tell us what to do and what to improve, and we’ll be ready for the next match. There are no easy games in this league, or in football in general. In football, anything can happen.”

On his run of good form since the start of the season and said: “Thank God, I had a good game, but without my teammates it would mean nothing, so I thank them and I’m happy I helped the team.”

Finally, he was asked about the ceremony Maccabi held for Gali and Ziv Berman and for Omri Miran before kickoff, and said:

“I was very moved, it doesn’t always show on me, and also Ido, who dedicated his goal to them. This is for them.”

Preview

Eight days after the cancelation of the Tel Aviv derby, Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD8 Winner League home match against Ironi Kiryat Shmona.

Zarko Lazetic’s side that has 14 points from the six league matches they did play, will aim to return to winning ways and record a victory for the first time since the 2-1 win over Hapoel Jerusalem on September 20th. Lazetic made a single change to the team that suffered 0-3 Europa League defeat by Midtjylland on Thursday. Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal with his defense also unchanged as Raz Shlomo and Ali Camara lined up in front of him. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the eft completed Maccabi’s defensive line. Issouf Sissokho and Itamar Noy remained in Maccabi’s engine room with Dor Peretz captaining the side at the top of the midfield trio. Osher Davida on one flank and Elad Madmon on the other supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation with Said Abu Farchi leading the line. The 19-year-old striker who scored in the Toto Cup and the Europa league against Dinamo Zagreb is seeking his first league goal for Maccabi and will aim to do so against the visitors from Kiryat Shmona that are ranked 12th in the table.

On the bench alongside goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi, Lazetic named Heitor, Kerven Andarde, Denny Gropper, Noam Ben Harosh, Ben Lederman, Helio Varela, Ido Shahar and Ion Nicolaescu all waiting for a chance to make an impact.

First Half

The match pretty evenly as none of the sides made any threat on goal in the opening stages. A booking to Tyrese Asante for handling Kiryat Shmona’s Wale Musa Ali livened things up as Ariel Sheratzky was quick to follow into Nael Oudah’s book for a rough tackle on Saied Abu Farchi. In the 18th minute Abu Farchi released Roy Revivo who spotted Dor Peretz unmarked on the edge of the area. The Maccabi captain controlled Revivo’s cross with one touch before sending an effort which went in off the post to beat Daniel Tenenbaum and open the score.

A minute before the half hour mark Itamar Noy tried a low left foot drive which Tenebaum coukdnt hold onto before Issouf Sissokho pounced on the loose ball but rifled his shot against the outside of the post. Four minutes later a counter attack saw Abu Farchi release Osher Davida who skipped past his man and fired a shot which Tenebaum did save before the offside flag was raised. In the 44th minute Roi Mishpati was at full stretch as the Maccabi keeper made a feflex save to keep out Shay Ben David’s powerful drive.

Inside injury time Kiryat Shmona were awarded a free kick with Abu Farchi shown the yellow card. Ben David took the free kick which struck the boot of Sheratski to wrong foot Mishpati and level the score just before the interval.

Second Half

With no changes to either side after the break the second half began just like the first with Abu Farchi looking dangerous. A Revivo cross on 47 was headed by the young striker but Tenenbaum plucked the ball in midair. Two minutes later Revivo burst down the left and was brought down in the box by Ovadia Darwish as Oudah pointed directly at the penalty spot. Davida left the ball for Elad Madmon who kept his calm and slotted the spot kick past Tenenbaum to restore Maccabi’s lead on 52.

Abu Farchi came close to increase Maccabi’s lead as he found himself unmarked inside the area but he opted for a shot rather than a pass which agonizingly struck the side netting. In the 71st minute Zarko Lazetic made a double substitution as Abu Farchi and Noy bowed out and were replaced by Ido Shahar and Helio Varela.

Maccabi continued to push forward as Madmon flashed a shot which sailed to the wrong side of Tenenbaum’s post on 76. Four minutes later a combination of Revivo and Mishpati prevented Kiryat Shmona’s Joan Halabi from leveling the score. Lazetic introduced a third substitution in the 83rd minute as Davida was replaced by Kervin Andrade. Just as the fourth official raised the sign for six minutes of added time, Maccabi scored the third. Raz Shlomo carved Kiryat Shmona’s defense open with a perfect through ball to Shahar who chested it down and slotted past Tenenbaum to make it 3-1. Asante and Madmon bowed out to a standing ovation as they were replaced in the closing minutes by Noam Ben Harosh and Ion Nicolaescu.

Osher Davida was left to explain how Maccabi walked away from the match against FC Midtjylland with nothing.
“At this level, if you don’t score, you’re going to concede.”

Despite a solid performance, Maccabi still conceded three goals to a side that remained perfect in the league phase as Davida shared his thoughts on the difference between the two sides: “It doesn’t reflect it, but I think at this level, when you don’t score despite your chances, you’ll concede, that’s just how it is. If you don’t score, you’ll pay for it.
I’m very disappointed with this game. We already have European experience and we need to rise above it. We have five much tougher matches ahead, and we’ll try to give our maximum. Next year, we can’t just settle for compliments again.”

When asked what the team was missing tonight, he added: “We need to analyze it. We have to finish our chances much better and defend better. We’re missing that final touch, the little extra that makes a big difference.” Davida continued: “I think we competed well, like we always do. In the first half, we were the better team, and it’s hard for me to accept these losses when we play well. That has to change.”

Finally, the winger expressed appreciation to the hundreds of fans who accompanied the team to the match in Serbia: “It was an amazing feeling, usually it’s quiet, but today there was a great atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who came. It’s disappointing we couldn’t turn it into a win, but I’m very grateful to them and hope we’ll win the next games.”

Preview:

Maccabi returned to the TSC Arena in Backa Topola for the MD3 Europa League phase home match against Danish side FC Midtjylland. With a draw from the opening match away to PAOK Thessaloniki and on the back of the 3-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb before the international break, Zarko Lazetic’s side will try and get back to winning ways. Their chance of doing so early this week was thwarted by a police decision to call off the Tel Aviv derby against arch city rivals Hapoel, shortly before kickoff due to pyrotechnics used by the home fans. Now, they face a tough Danish side who ranked in the table right behind Zagreb, as like the Croats enjoyed a perfect start to the league phase campaign winning their two opening matches including a victory away to Nottingham Forest.

With several players from the side through injury, Kristijan Belic being the latest casualty having injured his hamstring in training, Lazetic made a few changes to his starting line up.

Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal with Ali Camara and Raz Shlomo lining up as the two central defenders in front of the keeper. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive line. Issouf Sissokho returned to heart of midfield and was partnered in the engine room by Itamar Noy with Kervin Andrade in a more attacking role. Dor Peretz led teh team out with the captain’s armband as the 30-year-old will aim to add to his tally of 7 goals in all competitions. Osher Davida will supply the width to the side with Elad Madmon upfront leading the attack.

On the bench, Lazetic named goalkeepers Yoav Gerafi and Ofek Melika as well as Heitor, Denny Gropper, Yonas Malede, Noam Ben Harosh, Ben Lederman, Helio Varela, Ido Shahar, Itai Ben Hamo, Saied Abu Farchi and first appearance in the squad for Ilay Ben Simon.

First Half

Maccabi began the match on the front foot with Itamar Noy and Issouf Sissokho snapping at the feet of their midfield counterparts stopping Midtjylland’s attempt to break forward. Osher Davida exposed Midtjylland’s defense down the right as the winger’s bursting pace in the 8th minute created a good chance for Dor Peretz whose shot was blocked Philip Billing. Sissokho had a shot from the edge of the area which forced Midtjylland’s keeper Elias Rafn Olafsson to stretch himself and turn the ball for a corner. Macabi continued to dominate as Davida curled a shot which crept to the wrong side of the post on 13.

Sissokho had another effort which sailed over the crossbar before the visitors began to show their quality. Roi Mishpati dominated his penalty area and managed to prevent Midtjylland’s tall player exploit their aerial superiority at corner. At the opposite end, Midtjylland’s defenders managed to head away every cross into the box by Davida or Noy before their goal could be placed under threat. In the 43rd minute Maccabi reached their best chance as Sissokho picked Roy Revivo with a pinpoint ball over the Danes’ defense before the left back who charged into the box took it with one volley. But Ólafsson positioned himself well at the near post to block Revivo’s shot which was making its’ way in and deny Maccabi a well deserved goal. Less than a minute later Midtjylland punished Maccabi and took the lead in spectacular fashion as Victor Bak Jensen sent a cross into the box for Dju Franculino who controlled it with one touch and volleyed home with a second. Raz Shlomo’s claims for a foul in the built up to the goal were waved by Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov who also didn’t award Maccabi an injury time penalty for handball in the box.

Second Half

With no changes after the break Maccabi returned for the second period determined to try and get back in the game. Six minutes after the restart, Jensen came close to double the score as he burst inside from the left and with only Mishpati to beat puled the trigger but saw his effort narrowly miss the target. 

A minute after the hour mark Noy had an effort which missed the target while a minute later Lazetic made his first change as he introduced Saied Abu Farchi for Kervin Andrade. Abu Farchi came inches away from scoring the equalizer five minutes after his introduction as the Dor Peretz’s shot struck the post and reached the young striker at the goalmouth but from point blank range the ball hit Abu Farchi and rolled out. Lazetic made a double substitution a minute later as Noy and Madmon bowed out and were replaced by Ben Lederman and Helio Varela.

But in the 71st minute Midtjylland doubled their lead as Aral Simsir’s cross was nodded down Martin Eric into the path of Billing who volleyed home past Mishpati. In the 80th minute Abu Farchi came close once again this time as Revivo picked him with a clever pass only for his powerful header to just miss the frame of the goal.

Lazetic made another two changes as Peretz and Davida were replaced for the closing stages by Ido Shahar and young Ilay Ben Simon who was handed his senior debut.