Israeli Defender Atif Alkissi Joins Portuguese Club Rio Ave Alongside Noa Slimagovich

Atif Alkissi, a leading defender of the Israeli women's national football team, has signed with Portuguese club Rio Ave. The 24-year-old will join fellow Israeli Noa Slimagovich, who also recently left Kiryat Gat, marking Alkissi's first move to a European club. Alkissi developed through the youth system at Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem and the Israeli Football Association academy before playing for Kiryat Gat and later Hapoel Be'er Sheva. At Be'er Sheva, she achieved significant success, winning two league championships and two State Cups over the past two seasons. She has become a key player for the Israeli national team, consistently starting throughout the latest campaign. Alkissi and Slimagovich aim to help Rio Ave improve on their 2025/26 season, where the club narrowly avoided relegation by finishing eighth and winning the playoff matches. Alkissi is set to travel to Portugal soon to begin her tenure with Rio Ave.