Preview

Three days after his debut match at Maccabi resulted with a 4-1 league victory over Kiryat Shmona, Ronney Deila arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the first time. The State Cup Quarter Final tie away to second division side Maccabi Jaffa, gave the Norwegian Head Coach and his coaching staff an opportunity to experience Bloomfield at first hand. Goalkeeping coach, Dean Kiely, is the latest addition to Deila’s backroom staff which already includes assistant coaches Kenny Miller and Kenneth Dokken. After 6000 Maccabi fans travelled to Netanya for the match against Kiryat Shmona, almost double that amount purchased tickets to cheer Maccabi on and help the team reach the Semi Final of the Cup.

Deila made several changes to his starting line-up from the side that beat Kiryat Shmona on Monday. Roi Mishpati, who played his last three matches in goal in the Europa League, made his first domestic appearance since his dismissal during the 2-6 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem in November last year. The defense remained unchanged with Heitor dos Santos and Tyrese Asante named as the two central defenders while Noam Ben Harush and Roy Revivo were named at right and left back respectively.

Ben Lederman stepped into the anchorman role with Maccabi’s joint-top goal scorers; Dor Peretz (12) and Ido Shahar (12) completed the midfield trio. Kervin Andrade, who scored Maccabi’s fourth goal and his second of the season, was named by Deila in a wide position. After making his Maccabi debut as a second half substitute against Kiryat Shmona, Emir Sahiti, was named on the opposite flank for his first outing at Bloomfield.

Saied Abu Farchi, whose successful penalty against Kiryat Shmona was his sixth goal in all competitions this season, will aim to add to his tally against Jaffa as he led the line.

On the bench alongside goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Deila named Sagiv Jehezkel, Raz Shlomo, Yonas Malede, Elad Madmon, Helio Varela, Itamar Noy, Itay Ben Hemo and Ilay Ben Simon.

First Half

A wall of noise created by around 11,000 Maccabi fans welcomed the team onto the pitch giving the players the support as if it was a home match. It took Maccabi 12 minutes to create the first chance as Jaffa’s attempt of a clearance fell to Kervin Andrade who blasted his shot over the crossbar. Andrade continued to look lively as Maccabi came closer seven minutes later with Dor Peretz heading the Venezuelan midfielder’s free kick wide of the post.

In the 22nd minute the deadlock was finally broken at the end of a spectacular team effort. Saied Abu Farchi carved Jaffa’s defense open with a perfect through ball to Peretz who cut it back for Ido Shahar. The diminutive midfielder swept the ball past Roy Baranes to put Maccabi in-front with his 13th goal of the season. Maccabi doubled their lead right on the half hour mark as Peretz was the provider once again, this time setting up Abu Farchi who blasted in the second. Maccabi’s blitz continued in the 33rd minute as Roy Revivo’s glancing header following an Andrade corner increased the lead to 3-0.

Emir Sahiti who tormented Jaffa’s defense down the left had a shot on goal in the 41st minute which was blocked for a corner.

Second Half

Deila made three changes at the restart as Raz Shlomo, Sagiv Jehezkel and Elad Madmon replaced Heitor dos Santos and the two goalscorers Revivo and Abu Farchi. Madmon tried making an immediate impact with a shot from the edge of the area. But Madmon didn’t make the cleanest of contacts as the ball spun out.

In the 52nd minute Maccabi scored their fourth with Peretz adding another assist for Sahiti who clipped the ball over the keeper with style to score his debut Maccabi goal. Three minutes later Jaffa were dealt an even bigger blow as referee Dekel Tzino sent their captain Ronen Peretz off for a second bookable offence to leave the second division side with 10 men.

Sahiti came close to bag a second on the hour mark as his left foot curler sailed wide of the post. In the 63rd minute Peretz bowed out to a standing ovation as the skipper was replaced by Ilay Ben Simon who was handed a chance to impress. Ben Lederman who worked tirelessly in midfield came off on 66 and was replaced by Itamar Noy as Deila made his fifth and final substitution. In the 72nd minute Noy played a part in Maccabi’s fifth as he exchanged passes with Sahiti who burst into the area before his shot deflected in off a defender to make it 5-0.

Maccabi continued to toy with Jaffa exploiting their numerical advantage as the pressure Ben Simon and Noy applied in the 82nd minute almost gifted them with the sixth. But Noy who found himself at the center of the Jaffa box with only Baranes to beat, dragged his shot wide. In the 90th minute Sahiti almost rounded his performance with an assist as his cross was flicked by Shahar towards goal. But the Jaffa keeper saved on his goal line to deny Maccabi a sixth goal. The full-time whistle sent Maccabi’s players and staff to celebrate the victory with the fans as attention now turns back to the league as Deila’s charges host Bnei Reineh at Bloomfield on Monday.

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC are delighted to welcome Dean Kiely (55) as the new first team goalkeeping coach.

Kiely joins Maccabi after seven successful years as goalkeeping coach at Premier League side Crystal Palace, during which time the Eagles lifted the FA Cup (2025).

Kiely, served in similar roles at West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End, Norwich City, and was also part of the Republic of Ireland national team’s coaching staff.

In successful playing career which lasted for more than two decades, Kiely made 759 senior appearances as a goalkeeper.

He featured for clubs including Coventry City, York City, Bury, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth, Luton Town and West Bromwich Albion as well as representing the Republic of Ireland 11 times between 1999 and 2008.

The 22-year-old full-back made 33 appearances in all competitions this season to take his overall tally to 113 in Yellow and Blue. Revivo, who scored two goals in Europe but has yet to get off the mark in the league, reflected on Monday’s 4-1 victory over Kiryat Shmona that saw Maccabi end a four match winless streak. “It feels very good, it’s a lot of fun. It was important for the team’s energy, for every player, and also for the coach.”

Revivo paid tribute to the 6000 travelling fans who came to support the team against Kiryat Shmona at Netanya as he said: “I want to thank the fans who came and supported us in an away match, it felt like a home game, and they are very important to us.”

Ahead of the return to Bloomfield for tomorrow’s Cup tie which will be hosted by Jaffa, Revivo said: “There’s nothing like Bloomfield, we need our fans.”

On facing second division side Jaffa that already knocked out Bnei Sakhnin and Maccabi Netanya in the previous rounds, Revivo said: “We know that Jaffa is no pushover; they knocked out Netanya and Sakhnin. We are coming very prepared and are focusing on ourselves. First and foremost, I want to win, I don’t care how, but we do need to play our system, our way, and that’s how we’ll get the victory.”

On the change in the camp following the managerial changes and the arrival of Ronny Deila, Revivo summed up: “A spirit of change arrived with the new coach already from the first training session. Especially after the win, there were a lot of smiles, and I’m happy for the team and for myself. It was important for us to win.”

Abu Farchi, whose assist to Dor Peretz was followed by a successful penalty in the 4-1 victory over Kiryat Shmona, said at the end of the match: “A new coach has come in with new energy and fresh blood. We won and we move on.”

On the fans who supported the team today, he added: “We felt we owed it to the fans after the last game. We came with peak energy, played a good first half and carried that through the entire match.”

On the arrival of the new head coach, Ronny Deila, Abu Farchi shared: “The coach spoke to us a lot about energy, and that’s what won the game. We came with the right approach and it worked. He’s only been here two days and you can already feel he’s a good person. He spoke with every player on a personal level, which is a positive thing. I wish him and us success together. He knew me and told me I’m a player who works very hard and fights for every ball. If I lose it, I can run all the way to Bloomfield to get it back. He gave me confidence and told me, ‘I’m behind you.’ I’m happy I repaid that.”

Abu Farchi, whose goal took his season tally to six in all competitions, spoke of his personal targets: “The numbers are important to me. Today wasn’t enough, I could have given more. I need to work on myself to produce more numbers.”

On the title race: “We never give up. Right now we’re focused on the next match, want as many wins as possible, and in the end we’ll see what happens.”

Abu Farchi whose name was loudly chanted by the fans at Netanya, said after the match: “I get a lot of love and support this isn’t the first time. In previous games I received many messages and my phone almost crashed. I hope to repay them on the pitch.”

 Preview

Maccabi arrived at the Netanya stadium for the MD21 WINNER League match away to Ironi Kiryat Shmona with the team currently 4th in the table. 6000 Maccabi fans travelled to Netanya to support the team and welcome newly appointed Head Coach Ronny Deila who will have his debut match in charge.

A week after the defeat in the Tel Aviv derby, Deila, who will be assisted by Kenny Miller and Kenneth Dokken will aim to guide Maccabi back to winning ways. Tyrese Asante who recovered from an injury which sidelined him last week, was named by the Norwegian coach alongside Heitor dis Santos as the two central defenders infront of goalkeeper Ofek Melika. Noam Ben Harush started on the right side of defense with Roy Revivo completing Maccabi’s back-four on the left. With Issouf Sissokho serving a one-match touchline ban due to yellow cards, Itamar Noy started in the anchorman role with Dor Peretz alongside him in the midfield engine room. Kervin Andrade completed Maccabi’s midfield trio in a more attacking role as the 20-year-old Venezuelan midfielder will try and supply the ammunition for the frontline. Osher Davida who played under Deila during their spell with Belgian side Standard Liege, was named on one wing with Helio Varela on the opposite flank. Saied Abu Farchi led the line as the 19-year-old striker will try add to his tally of two league goals and five in all competitions.

On the bench Deila named goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, Sagiv Jehezkel, Raz Shlomo, Elad Madmon, Ben Lederman, Ido Shahar, Itay Ben Hemo, Ilay Ben Simon and new signing Emir Sahiti.

First Half

Backed by a wall of noise created by 6000 traveling fans who filled the entire east stand, Maccabi began the match as if they were launched out of a cannon. In the opening minute Helio Varela charged down the left and into the box but his square ball lacked accuracy and was cleared. Two minutes later Varela began another counter attack before Noam Ben Harush was released down the right. The full-back tried a shot which Daniel Tenenbaum punched away for a corner which led to Maccabi’s opener. Kiryat Shmona’s defense failed to clear the resulting corner as Kervin Andrade stripped Cristian Martinez of the ball and teed up Saied Abu Farchi whose cross was headed home by Dor Peretz. In the 12th minute Kiryat Shmona were back on level terms as Maccabi’s defense didn’t clear a ball which was launched into the box as it fell to Ariel Sheratzky who blasted in the equalizer.

Abu Farchi was in the thick of things once again five minutes later as he applied pressure on Yaw Ackah following a failed attempt of a clearance. After kicking the air, Ackah then kicked Abu Farchi without a reaction from referee Idan Leiba. VAR intervened to call the referee to the screen before the initial decision was reversed and a penalty awarded. Abu Farchi stepped up, sent Tenenbaum the wrong way and slotted in the spot kick to restore Maccabi’s lead. In the 27th minute Peretz and Abu Farchi combined on the edge of the area, but Tenenbaum was at full stretch to push Abu Farchi’s shot for a corner. Right on the hour mark Peretz received the ball on the edge of the area but couldn’t keep his shot down as it sailed over the crossbar. 

Varela tested Tenenbaum with a powerful drive which the former Maccabi custodian managed to save. In the 44th minute Maccabi came close once again as Verela found Davida at the center of the area but his initial attempt was blocked by Shai Ben David while his second blasted over. On the stroke of halftime Davida came even closer as he cut inside onto his left and curled a shot that caught Tenenbaum stranded but struck the post. Just as the fourth official signalled five minutes of added time, the combination of Varela and Davida resulted with a goal as the Cape Verde winger squared to Davida who with his weaker right foot managed to squeeze the ball home for Maccabi’s third goal.

Second Half

While Kiryat Shmona’s coach Shai Barda made two changes at the restart, Maccabi’s coach Ronny Deila stuck with the same players for the start of the second half. In the 57th minute Abu Farchi came close as he fired a shot which Tenenbaum pushed away.

In the 63rd minute Maccabi increased their lead to 4-1 as Roy Revivo’s throw in was nodded by Davida towards Kervin Andrade who launched himself and released a half volley that gave Tenenaum no chance. This was Andrade’s final action on the night as Deila made a triple substitution with the Venezuelan midfielder bowing out together with Ben Harush and Davida. Sagiv Jehezkel stepped in for Ben Harush at right back, Ido Shahar came into the midfield engine room while Emir Sahiti was handed his Maccabi debut on the right wing.

Tyrese Asante who recently recovered from an injury and was carrying a booking from the first half was replaced by Raz Shlomo as Deila made his fourth substitution on 77. Three minutes later Shahar released himself and teed up Peretz whose shot sailed high and wide. Peretz limped off on 85 and was replaced by young Ilay Ben Simon for the closing stages as Deila made his fifth and final substitution. Ben Simon came close in the 90th minute after Jehezkel slipped him through but Tenenbaum managed to save and deny Abu Farchi from scoring the rebound. The 16-year old had another attempt on goal but Tenenbaum saved again to before the final whistle was heard.

The 24-year-old winger who ended his goal drought in the league which lasted since September to score his second in the league and fifth in all competitions, said at the end of the match: “I am delighted. I finally saw smiles from the players, from myself, and from the staff. It’s great to get back to winning, largely thanks to our fans, 6,000 of whom came here after a tough period, in the middle of the week, with traffic jams.”

On the reunion with newly appointed coach Ronny Deila who coached him at Standard Liege, Davida said: “You can see a change in terms of energy. The system is different. Over these two days, players felt that something had changed. We saw an intense team, that’s what characterizes the coach, and I hope we continue this way. I didn’t play under him much; we had a slightly different system. I always said he’s a good coach and a stand-up guy with the players. I liked him personally. I told the guys here too, it’s great to have a coach like that, and I hope we take off moving forward.”

As Maccabi now moved within nine points from the league leaders, Davida remained adamant: “We always believe. I think in a tight title race, people tend to look at the other teams, but now is not the time. We need to focus only on ourselves. There are still three head-to-head matches against the rivals. We have to win game by game and gain confidence. Let’s see what happens.”

Davida whose last goals were scored in the Cup against Hapoel Haifa late in December, added: “It’s not easy when the balls don’t go in. Personally, I don’t measure myself by that, but it’s frustrating when it doesn’t happen, and I’m happy it did today. I’m always trying to see what I need to improve. I believe everything happens for the best, and I’ll keep working hard.”