Maccabi Petah Tikva won the Israeli State Cup for the third time on Thursday night, securing a 1-0 victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva in front of a full house of 30,000 fans at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Petah Tikva created many more chances than their opponents, culminating in the decisive goal in the final minutes.

In stoppage time of the first half, striker Anas Mahamid's shot was deflected by Beer Sheva goalkeeper Niv Eliasi onto the post. Eliasi made another impressive save in the 55th minute from a long-range shot by midfielder Maor Levi. Fourteen minutes later, Mahamid missed the target in front of an empty net from close range.

Defender Mohammed Hindi scored the winning goal in the 86th minute from the penalty spot, following a handball by Gabonese midfielder Andre Poko in the box. This victory secured Petah Tikva the cup for the first time in 72 years.

The win also earned Petah Tikva a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, alongside Maccabi Haifa and Beer Sheva, who finished second and third in the Israeli Premier League, respectively.

The new Israeli champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv, will compete in the Champions League qualifiers.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)