Bnei Sakhnin Midfielder Elai Hagag Vows Not to Celebrate if He Scores Against Former Club Beitar Jerusalem

Bnei Sakhnin is set to host Beitar Jerusalem on Monday, with an estimated 3,000 fans expected to attend, hoping for the team's first win of the season under new coach Yossi Abukasis. Despite practicing a four-man defense, Abukasis is likely to deploy three center-backs, even though Ori Dahan is ineligible to play against Beitar Jerusalem. Captain Maroun Gantous, Iyad Abu Abid, and Amit Kardi will form the central defensive pairing, with Ahmed Salman covering the right flank and Sana Gomes on the left. A decision is pending between Moustafa Sheikh Yousef and Ahmed Taha for a midfield spot. Motas Gurbyus and Elai Hagag are expected to retain their starting positions, while Antonio Sefer, who was practiced in the starting lineup, is anticipated to come off the bench. Matthew Kodjo and Basil Khoury will lead the attack in the absence of the injured Daniel Persky. Team chairman Khaled Douchi was present at the final training session, indicating significant anticipation within Sakhnin for the match. Ahead of the game, Elai Hagag stated, "I am focused on Sakhnin, we want to win. The professional staff has prepared us well, and we are not worried about not winning in the first two rounds. If I score, I will not celebrate, as I still belong to Beitar Jerusalem and want to return there later."

The projected starting lineup for Bnei Sakhnin is: Mohamed Abu Nil; Ahmed Salman, Maroun Gantous, Iyad Abu Abid, Amit Kardi, Sana Gomes; Sheikh Yousef (Taha), Gurbyus, Hagag; Kodjo, Khoury.