Yellow-and-Blue Crosses Continents

Maccabi Tel Aviv donated football equipment that made it all the way to Ghana with the help of Itamar Dubinsky, a doctorate candidate in the area: "Maccabi made 70 new fans"

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC works with many non-profit organizations on a frequent basis and contributes to the social and logistical aspects of these institutions. A week ago, the Youth Department received a request to contribute various types of football equipment.

Itamar Dubinsky who is in the midst of working on his doctorate, travelled to the football academy in Ghana as part of a study he is working on through the Ben Gurion University. Dubinsky took off for the Unistar Soccer Academy in Ghana where he is the editor of this study, to interview children and the employees of the acadmey in order to learn about the development of populations through the football academy itself.

Dubinsky’s study explores four different football academies with Unistar being the one he is currently working on. This academy also received various articles of equipment from Maccabi Tel Aviv including jerseys, shorts, balls, hats and more. Dubinsky spoke to the Official Website about the academy and the importance of football to this area: “It’s an academy that serves 70 children and was founded by a Ghanian named Ernest Cooper in 2009 in a small city in the south of the country.”

The doctorate candidate Dubinsky also spoke about the importance of Maccabi’s equipment contribution: “Ernest is the sole financier of the academy which is a tremendous amount for just one person to handle. His contributions include free tuition for the children to attend school, meals three times a day, housing, operating expenses and more. The 15-year olds and younger age groups received the donated equipment. This team is composed of children from all over Ghana and its neighboring countries where scouts can come and see which children may have a future as professional footballers. Ernest hopes to sell the rights of the various players in order for him to continue the academy and the further development of the community.”

Dubinsky also commented on the relationship that has been established between the club and the football academy: “The Academy was so happy with the contribution and it was just what they needed, so now they’ll wear Maccabi kits when they play. I believe that the donation did wonders of good for Maccabi in Ghana and picked up 70 new fans. The academy plays matches every week against other teams in Ghana so that will also help raise awareness about Maccabi throughout other communities in the country.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv FC works with many non-profit organizations ...

Football School- Kfar Szold Branch

An additional branch of the Maccabi Youth Department opened in the Upper Galilee and serves the area's children. Alon Yogev, branch manager: "We want the children to enjoy the game"

 The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department is a household name when it comes to developing young talent as many of the league’s players have come out of the system. A little over two months ago, an additional branch was opened up in the north of the country that is being managed by Alon Yogev in Kfar Szold which is located in the Upper Galilee.

Yogev, who is responsible for the branch spoke to the Official Website about the activities that take place in Kfar Szold: “The idea was to open up a big center where the children from the north could come and take part in activities, enjoy and learn football. Currently, we are working with children ages 6-12, where every two grades train together. The Kfar Szold branch meets twice weekly for an hour each time.”

Aside from the spectacular scenery that accompanies the facility, Yogev continued to discuss the programs offered: “The professional guidelines come straight from the Youth Department at Kiryat Shalom. From a professional standpoint it is very similar to that of Kiryat Shalom, but we also have a lot of exercises without the ball as well as mini matches with less emphasis on running. We want the children to enjoy the game and the competition. The participants come from all over the north and the Galilee as well as from Kibbutzim and also Kiryat Shemona.”

Guy Romesh is one of the children who participates in the Kfar Szold branch programs. He is 8-years old and after just one month he moved up with distinction to train with children two years older than he is. Stav Hen, an 11-year old from Kfar Yuval in the Upper Galilee began attending the branch’s activities and has already been noted to be a player who works very hard in training. He is a standout with the team both from a professional and personal point of view.

 The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department is a household ...

Yellow-and-Blue Saturday – Match Results February 6

The Under-19 team picked up an important win over Ashdod to open up the second round, the Under-17 side also got back on the winning track, plus the rest of the results

SC Ashdod 0:1 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

Ziv Arie’s club picked up their second straight win in Toto League action as Eylon Almog scored in the 41st minute. To read the full match recap CLICK HERE

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv 1:0 Beitar Tubruk

Uri Uzan and Leon Asraf’s side defeated Beitar Tubruk 1:0 on a 21st minute goal by Alon Strosberg to get back in the win column.

Beitar “Shmuel” Jerusalem 0:1 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv

Saar Sa’adon scored the lone goal at the start of the second half for the Under-16 side of Eliezer Ben Aharon and Gady Brumer as the club won away at Beitar Jerusalem.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv 6:0 Sektzia Nes Tziona

Erez Belfer’s charges remained in first place of the Under-15 Mercaz League with a convincing victory over their counterparts from Nes Tziona. Omri Ram with a brace, Gil Ben Shalosh, Ra’ava Assayag and Mendel Asraf all scored for the Yellow-and-Blue.

Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv 2:1 Maccabi “Max” Haifa

After a five game winning streak, Ran Elias’ side fell to Maccabi Haifa in a 1 vs. 2 matchup. The visitors took an early lead but Amit Yakov was able to draw the young Yellow-and-Blue even. However, three minutes into the second half Maccabi went down again by another goal and couldn’t find a way back as Haifa opened up a five point lead atop of the table.

SC Ashdod 0:1 Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

Maccabi Shachar defeats Ashdod 1-0

The young Yellow-and-Blue defeated SC Ashdod with help of Eylon Almog's lone goal to open the second round of league matches

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv got the second round of Toto League matches underway with a visit to SC Ashdod. The last match between the two sides saw Dan Glazer score the decisive goal, but the  captain transferred to Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramle and will no longer be with the club for the balance of the season. Idan Yogev was given the captain’s armband in his place to lead Ziv Arie’s side who were looking to pick up another win after a victory last week against Bnei Yehuda. Ron Gabbay who was loaned from Maccabi to Ashdod met his former club for the first time as well.

Maccabi began the match pressing their opponent but it was Ashdod who garnered the first chance  when the host’s header was tipped to safety with the aid of the bar by Haviv Ohayon. Even though Maccabi controlled the tempo of play, the young Yellow-and-Blue were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.

In the 30th Ashdod again had a chance to take the lead taking advantage of a mistake by the Maccabi defense, but their effort went wide of the goal. However, in the 41st minute Gaby Kanichowsky and Oliel Peretz combined on a gorgeous play that gave the Yellow-and-Blue the lead. Peretz, who just returned to the Under-19 team laid off a beauty of a pass to Eylon Almog at the edge of the box as Almog sent the ball into the top left hand corner of the goal to take a 1:0 lead which the visitors took into the break.

Head Coach Ziv Arie made a substitution to open up the second half as Or Dasa replaced Shay Golan. The second half was played at a slower pace than the first due to the many fouls that were called. Dasa had a chance to help add to the Maccabi lead but his header went wide of the goal.

Three more substitutions were made by Arie over the course of the second half as the coach introduced Mahmoud Awesat, Omri Haramati and Tomer Altman. The balance of the half saw end to end action but neither side was able to take advantage of their opportunities as the match ended with Maccabi picking up the valuable three points to open the second round.

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv got the second round of Toto ...

Youth Department Action, Saturday February 6

A stormy Saturday is expected and there will be plenty of Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department action to go along with it. Find out who's playing who inside

SC Ashdod – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 11:00, Yud Aleph Stadium

Ziv Arie’s club will travel down to Ashdod and face their youth league counterparts who are mired at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, the young Yellow-and-Blue will look to build on last Matchday’s victory over Bnei Yehuda for a second win in a row.

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv – Beitar Tubruk 09:00, Kiryat Shalom

Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf will be looking to get back on the winning track after falling to defeat last week when they host Beitar Tubruk.

Beitar “Shmuel” Jerusalem – Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv 09:00, Bayit Vegan

Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” will travel to the capital city and face their Jerusalem counterparts on Matchday 17 of the Under-16 South Artzit League.

Maccabi “Eldad” Tel Aviv – Sektzia Nes Tziona 08:30, Kiryat Shalom

The opening match at Kiryat Shalom this Saturday will be Erez Belfer’s Under-15 side as they face Nes Tziona.

Maccabi “Team 2” Tel Aviv – Maccabi “Max” Haifa 11:00, Kiryat Shalom

The most interesting match of the day will take place at the Yellow-and-Blue training center as the top two teams in the league will kick off against each other. Maccabi will be looking to overtake Haifa by winning and collecting 3-points.

SC Ashdod – Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv 11:00, Yud ...

Maccabi Shachar victorious in mini-derby 2-1

The Yellow-and-Blue got back to their winning ways on the last Matchday of the first round of league games. Shapira and Kartzev scored for Maccabi and the late Shimon Kork was honored

Bnei Yehuda hosted Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv on Matchday 15 of the Toto Youth League in the final game of the first round. Prior to the start of the match, the clubs honored the late Shimon Kork Z”l in a stirring ceremony.

Head coach Ziv Arie had both Eylon Almog and Eden Kartzev available as they both returned from international duty this week while Dan Glazer was out due to an injury.

As the match began it didn’t take long for the young Yellow-and-Blue to take an early lead. Oliel Peretz began an attack that left Anit Shapira one-on-one with the Bnei Yehuda keeper. Shapira knew exactly what to do with the ball and put it into the goal for a quick 1-0 advantage.

However the lead didn’t last for long. Daniel Avital brought the Orange back even as his effort hit the post and went right into the Maccabi net. In the 31st minute, Amit Rosenboim sent a beauty of a ball to Gaby Kanichowsky who turned in the box and took an amazing shot on goal that was blocked by the keeper. Almog’s follow up bicycle kick was also saved as the sides went into the break all knotted up at 1:1.

To open the second half Ziv Arie made his first substitution bringing on Bar Galili for Idan Yogev. In the 56th minute Kartzev was introduced in place of Tomer Altman and a minute later Mahmoud Awesat come on for Eylon. As the match hit the 62nd minute , Arie’s subs paid off. Awesat’s left side cross came right to Kartzev who brought the ball down with his chest and kicked it right into the goal for a 2:1 lead.

The goal was Kartzev’s 4th of the season even though he did not begin the year with the club. Maccabi had a number of chances to pad their lead, but the Bnei Yehuda keeper stood on his head. The final whistle blew to hand Arie’s club a 2:1 win as his side also picked up three valuable points.

Bnei Yehuda hosted Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv on Matchday ...

Road to the Cup- Itzhaki sends Maccabi to the quarterfinals

The defending State Cup champions will face Hapoel Rishon Le'Zion this evening at 21:00 for a ticket to the quarterfinals. Let's look back at how the Yellow-and-Blue advanced last year

Road to the Cup- Itzhaki sends Maccabi to the quarterfinals

The defending State Cup champions will face Hapoel Rishon Le'Zion this evening at 21:00 for a ticket to the quarterfinals. Let's look back at how the Yellow-and-Blue advanced last year

Holocaust Survivor Zvi Mel speaks to Youth Department

As part of the Youth Department's educational programs, a Holocaust survivor spoke to the players about the horrors of the past, his personal victory and his connection with Maccabi

Today, Wednesday, marks the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when the world looks back at the terrible tragedy that befell all of mankind and especially the Jewish People. The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department took the opportunity to educate the players about the horrors that occurred during this very dark time in history. The Under-15 side of Ran Elias were honored to hear from Zvi Mel, a Holocaust survivor and longtime Maccabi Tel Aviv fan talk about his own experiences.

Mel discussed his difficult upbringing as a child when his German friends became his enemies, his family’s travels, losing many friends and acquaintances along the way and the incredible survival of a little boy who lost his whole world.

The young players were fascinated by his personal journey and at the end of the presentation asked what helped him survive the Holocaust and how he felt making it through the inferno to begin a family in Israel. Following the program, the players presented Mel a gift who emotionally thanked the children. Zvi Mel’s life story can be found in his autobiography.

Today, Wednesday, marks the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, when ...

“It’s a privilege to contribute to the community”

The Youth Department and “Educating for Excellence continue to participate in joint programming and this week coaches Kfir Elfonte and Eliran Mizrachi spoke about their experiences with the organization

As part of the ongoing activities of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Department, the players from various age groups participate in bi-weekly events with the “Educating for Excellence” organization.

The non-profit organization helps reduce the social gaps and creates equal opportunities for children with potential for excellence who reside within Israel’s social and geographic periphery. Together with the Maccabi Youth Department, children from all age groups participate in joint programming led by coaches from the various teams.

Kfir Alfonte and Eliran Mizrachi who coach the Under-12 and Under-11 clubs spoke about the activities that they do with the organization’s children and what the Maccabi youth gain from the experience: “It’s a program where 10 children of different ages come to the Youth Department, “ Elfonte explained. “We bring our Under-12 and Under-11 sides and we have a tournament that features both the organization’s children and those from our youth department. We all enjoy it very much, and our kids also understand the importance of these programs.”

The coach also discussed what the “Educating for Excellence” children gain from the activities: “I believe that the children from ‘Educating for Excellence’ feel that they are doing something that at first they believed they couldn’t do and it gets them closer to their dreams. These children are very special and there are even two kids that perhaps could join Maccabi in the future.”

Eliran Mizrachi who also leads the joint programs, commented about the activities from his point of view: “We began these activities 2-3 years ago with the youngest age groups in the department. This year we’ve done a number of groups with them and it’s been a lot of fun. We are teaching them what Maccabi Tel Aviv is and we are giving them the opportunity to play with children who are terrific players at their same age.”

Mizrachi continued talking about what the Maccabi children gain from the experience as well: “This imbues patience in their understanding of other children, the fact that there are others who aren’t as fortunate as them and don’t have the opportunities to obtain the tools succeed. Working together with them on the pitch, with players of different levels gives them the chance to enjoy the programming and this is the message that we also want to send to their schools. We want them to understand that they are role models even at this young age and to grasp what it means to be a player with Maccabi Tel Aviv and not take that fact for granted.”

In terms of the importance of these activities for the coaches, Mizrachi said: “We as coaches know and understand that it’s not just about being a professional on the pitch but off of it as well. Respect and good values come before everything else. It’s a privilege to contribute to the community and we do so with pride and joy.”

As part of the ongoing activities of the Maccabi Tel ...