Israel National Football Team Squad Announced for Nations League

Israel national football team coach Ran Ben Shimon is set to announce his squad on Thursday for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign. The team faces a demanding schedule, beginning with an away match against Austria in a week. Following this, they will play home games in Debrecen, Hungary, against Ireland and Kosovo, concluding with another away fixture against Ireland in Serbia.

The squad will convene for an intensive training camp lasting over two weeks. The team is scheduled to fly to Austria on Sunday and will stay in a hotel before the Yom Kippur holiday. Some players arriving from the United States will join later in the week, meaning preparations for the first match against Austria will not be ideal.

Despite not currently having a club, captain Eli Dasa is expected to be called up by Ben Shimon and likely start in the first game. Dasa has been training rigorously in the Netherlands and has maintained contact with Ben Shimon, who appears to trust him as a dominant figure in the squad.

Gabby Kanyikovsky of Maccabi Tel Aviv is anticipated to play a significant role. Previously, he was not always included in the squad under Ben Shimon, but his recent strong performances for both Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencváros in Hungary have positioned him to compete for a midfield starting spot alongside Eliel Peretz of Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

Raz Shlomo from Maccabi Tel Aviv, Noam Steifman from Maccabi Haifa, and Ilai Feingold from New England Revolution are expected to receive call-ups to bolster the defense, which will be missing several key players during this international window.