Hapoel Petah Tikva Seeks New Striker After Riboulier's Season-Ending Injury

Hapoel Petah Tikva is actively seeking a replacement for French striker Franck Riboulier, whose season ended prematurely due to a torn cruciate ligament. The injury occurred during a match following a tackle by Maccabi Haifa defender Nigel Lonwijk. While Hapoel Petah Tikva does not believe the tackle was intentional, the club is angered that video referees did not review the incident and that Lonwijk was not sent off. Team CEO Tim Plotkin has contacted the Referees Association to express his dissatisfaction and demand explanations. The association cited a poor camera angle as the reason video referees could not make a red card decision.

Ibrahima Keita, who recently joined the team, has impressed in his first training session and is seen as a potential replacement for the departed Chepohka Songo. The club plans to sign another foreign striker soon. The leading candidate to replace Riboulier is Ibrahima Bilé, a 21-year-old striker from Ludogorets, acquired in January 2025 for 700,000 euros. Bilé, who can also play as a winger, scored six goals in all competitions last season. Hapoel Petah Tikva is prepared to offer a net monthly salary of $15,000 to the new foreign striker.