“It was very exciting to wear the captain’s armband on the night. It was of great importance for me. There are several captains here ahead of me, but with the situation we had today I was privileged to have done so. As a young player who grew up at the club from the age of 6, to wear the captain’s armband in front of our home fans at Bloomfield was very emotional for me and a day I will cherish for as long as I live”.

Pregame

Three days after the Conference League Playoff first leg against Shakhter Karagandy in Kazakhstan, and four days before the return leg at Bloomfield that would decide who qualifies and enters the group stage draw – Maccabi Tel Aviv lined-up to face Hapoel Jerusalem for a Toto Cup match.

Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen rested a lot of his first team players giving a chance for some of the younger members of the squad, as well as several youth team players a chance to impress on the big stage.

Andreas Gianniotis, whose last appearance for Maccabi was in July 2020 on the final day of the 2019/20 season, returned to goal. Matan Baltaxa and Idan Nachmias were named as the two central defenders in front of Giannniotis while Guy Mizrahi was handed his senior debut at right-back and Ofir Davidzada completed the back-four on left side of defence.

Eden Shamir, who made a substitute debut appearance and celebrated it with a goal away to Karagandy on Thursday, was handed his home debut at Bloomfield. Eden Kartzev and Ido Shahar completed the midfield engine room while Ronen Hanzis, was also handed a debut a start on one of the wings. Matan Hozez, led the team out with the captain’s armband while Eylon Almog led the line from the striker’s role.

Sheran Yeini, Osama Khalaila and goalkeeper Or Yitzhak together with Dor Turgeman and Bar Cohen were the first team players named on the pitch as well as Oscar Gloukh, Bar Lin, Roy Revivo and Ofek Sasson from the youth team who completed the list of substitutes.

First Half

Maccabi began the match on the front foot with pressure on the newly promoted side as an Ido Shahar shot was blocked by a Jerusalem defender in the 6th minute. Five minutes later Eylon Almog created himself the time and space to take a shot from the edge of the area which was blocked off for a corner.

In the 18th minute, Ronen Hanzis dribbled past two defenders on the edge of the box and released a shot that forced Adebayo Adeleye to push the ball around the post. The resulting corner, saw Shahar force another save from Adelye after another powerful right foot shot before the diminutive midfielder sent a chip that was headed by Idan Nachmias onto the roof of the net.

Maccabi continued dominating the play while Jerusalem sat back and tried to hit on the counter attack. In the 33rd minute and against the run of play, Idan Shemesh blasted a powerful shot which rocketed high over the framework and into the tribune. A misplaced Guy Mizrahi pass on 39 left Andreas Gianniotos in no man’s land and allowed Jerusalem’s Hamed Sholaja to break forward before Cletus Nombil sent the cut-back over the bar.

Second Half

While Patrick van Leeuwem didn’t make any changes after the interval, his Jerusalem counterpart, Ziv Ariye, made three substitutes. Three minutes later however, the deadlock was finally broken as Hanzis celebrated his debut start with a goal. Almog carved Jerusalem’s defence open as he cut into the area and forced Adelye to charge out of his goal and dive at his feet. But the keeper’s initial save fell to Hanzis who side-footed the ball into the open goal.

In the 53rd minute Idan Nachmias was penalised for a foul on the edge of area, before Shemesh rattled Gianniotis’ crossbar from the resulting free kick. Right on the hour mark Van Leeuwen made a double change as Bar Cohen replaced Eden Shamir and Oscar Gloukh was handed his senior debut as he came in for Hozez.

Three minutes later however, Gianniotis was forced to a last gasp save with his feet to deny Guy Hadida who broke free through the middle. Van Leeuwen made another double change in the 70th minute as Dor Turgeman replaced Hanzis and Ofek Sasson received his senior debut coming on for Nachmias.

A minute later, the visitors were awarded a penalty after Ido Shahar fouled a Jerusalem player in the area. Hadida sent Gianniotis the wrong way to level the score at 1-1.

Roy Revivo received his senior debut for the final 11 minutes as he replaced Almog in the 79th minute. Guy Mizrahi tried testing Adeleye with a powerful low drive from the corner of the area but Jerusalem’s keeper took a dive to his left and caught the ball with two attempts.

With no goals scored and despite four minutes of added time, Nael Oudah’s full-time whistle sent both teams to settle the tie with sudden death penalties.

Jerusalem took the first penalty and beat Andreas Gianniotis with every spot kick, a fact which left Maccabi’s players to chase and score each penalty in order to stay alive. Matan Baltaxa, Ido Shahar, Ofir Davidzada, Dor Turgeman and Bar Cohen all scored, but as Yurai Maliach scored the sixth spot-kick, Adebayo Adeleye saved Oscar Gloukh’s effort to deny the youngster and turn what could have been a dream senior debut to end in tears.

“This was my senior debut start at the biggest club in Israel. The defeat stings a bit but I hope I did my bit in the best possible way” Hanzis said. “It is possibly the best feeling of my football career. A goal for the senior side which is something I dreamed of from a young age, at the club I supported as a kid and I hope there will be many goals in the future”.

This is the 37^th season the Toto Cup is played since being introduced in the 1984/85 season. Only Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem competed in the Toto Cup in all of the 37 seasons.

Thirteen clubs won the Toto Cup with Maccabi lifting the trophy a record seven times: 1993, 1999, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Maccabi’s total record in 231 Toto Cup matches over the years shows: 127 victories, 65 defeats and 39 draws with goal tally of 420-247.

The success rate of 60.6% Maccabi recorded over the years is the highest amongst the top flight clubs. Maccabi Haifa are second with 59.2%.

The highest victory Maccabi recorded in the Toto Cup is 8-1 over Ironi Rishon Lezion in the Group stages of the 1998/99 season.

Sheran Yeini is Maccabi’s record appearance holder in the Toto Cup with 59.

Avi Nimni is Maccabi’s Toto Cup leading scorer with 25 goals.

Maccabi met 26 opponents in the Toto Cup over the years. Against Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi has a 25% success rate with a solitary victory and 3 defeats.

All the Toto Cup encounters against Hapoel Jerusalem took place in the Group stages of the 1987/88 and 1990/91 seasons.

 

On the way he blended in with the rest of the team: “To be honest I received an amazing welcome. The guys welcomed me in an amazing manner, there are some guys whom I have known from before, but all embraced me, gave me a big hug and welcomed me into the team. This is just great”.

Avi Rikan, who scored Maccabi’s equaliser to cancel Shakhter’s early lead, added: “On a personal note I began the season late as I was suffering from a back injury as almost everyone knows. I was struggling physically to get into the right shape the team requires. I am delighted that today all the hard work paid off with the goal I scored and even happier with the goal Eden (Shamir) scored. We are a massive club that always aspires to participate in European competitions an I hope that today we did an important step towards our target. This is only the first leg, as next week we have another tough match against them in our stadium and with our climate. I hope we manage to do it until the end”.

Pregame

On the day Maccabi Tel Aviv made their European debut against FC Valetta back in 1992, and the class of 2015 played the first leg of their Champions League Playoff away to FC Basel which resulted in a famous dramatic 2-2 draw, the current class of 2021/22 were getting ready to play the first leg of their Conference League Playoff.

Kazakhstan outfit Shakhter Karagandy, who knocked out Romanian side Steaua Bucharest and Kolos of the Ukraine in the previous rounds, both in a penalty shoot-out, separate between Patrick van Leeuwen’s side and an appearance in the Conference League group stage. Van Leeuwen, who is more than familiar with football in Kazakhstan having worked for Kairat Almaty prior to him joining Maccabi in 2017, made two changes from the side that advanced past Spartak Trnava in the 3rd qualifying round.

Idan Nachmias stepped in for Matan Baltaxa as the partner of Louis Hernandez at the heart of defence with Enric Saborit on the left and Andre Geraldes on the right completing the back four.

Sheran Yeini, the only survivor of the Maccabi team that 11 years ago played French giants P.S.G the Europa League Playoff, led the line with the captain’s armband as the midfield trio of Yeini, Dan Glazer and Avi Rikan remained unchanged. Upfront, van Leeuwen made another change as Eduardo Guerrero was named in the starting line-up while Matan Hozez waited for his chance on the bench alongside new signing Eden Shamir. Tal Ben Chaim as the second winger and Osama Khalaila as the striker upfront completed Maccabi’s strike force.

First Half

Maccabi began the match in what could have been a perfect manner as Osama Khaliala came close to score in the opening minute as he headed an Andre Geraldes cross goal-bound. But the 23-year-old striker was denied by Sahkhter’s goalkeeper Igor Shatskiy who pushed the ball over the crossbar.

The hosts, playing on Astana’s artificial pitch, tried testing Daniel Peretz with a couple of long range efforts which were easily collected by the Maccabi keeper. In the 12th minute, a Sheran Yeini pinpoint chip carved Shakhter’s defence open and left Eduardo Guerrero right in front of goal. But with only Trofimets to beat, the Panamanian forward lifted the ball over the advancing keeper but saw his effort clear the crossbar as well.

Maccabi kept on pushing forward as Khaliala had an effort blocked by Andrei Buivolov on the edge of the penalty area in the 22nd minute. Maccabi dominated the rest of the half and enjoyed most of the possession, but time after time couldn’t break through Shakhter’s defence that proved why they conceded only two goals in their previous four European matches. Srdjan Jovanovic didn’t add a single second as the Serbian referee blew the halftime whistle exactly after 45 minutes to send both teams into the dressing room to cool down.

Second Half

In the opening minute of the second half, Dan Glazer, became the first player to enter Jovanivoc’s book as the combative midfielder was penalised for a foul on Aydos Tattybaev. On 52 Enric Saborit teed-up Avi Rikan on the edge of the area, but the midfielder’s low drive was pushed by Shatskiy around the post. From the resulting corner, an exchange of passes between Saborit and Tal Ben Chaim resulted with a cross which was making it’s way in from an Idan Nachmias header. But just like start of of the first half, Shatskiy stretched himself to push the ball over the crossbar and the central defender a goal on his European debut start.

Van Leeuwen made a double change in the 65th minute as Matan Hozez replaced Ben Chaim and Eden Shamir made his debut appearance for Maccabi replacing Yeini.

In the 73rd minute however, Idris Umaev who was introduced only a minute earlier for Tattybaev headed in Yeskendir Kybrayev cross which eluded Louis Hernandez to beat Peretz and put Shakhter in front.

Maccabi’s reply was fast and furious as within a minute Shamir sent Hozez in before the winger’s cut-back was slotted home by Avi Rikan to restore parity on 75. Two minutes later, Maccabi completed the comeback as a Hernandez long throw was flicked by Khalaila before Shamir sent a header which went in off the post to make it 2-1 and celebrate a goal on his debut.

In the 87th Eylon Almog and Ido Shahar replaced Khalaila and Guerrero who both worked tirelessly throughout the match. Two minutes later, Almog was pushed 25 meters away from Shakhter’s goal, but wasted the free kick which he blasted high over the crossbar.