Maccabi Haifa Faces Ironi Tiberias With Focus on Kanga John's Performance

Maccabi Haifa is set to host Ironi Tiberias on Saturday evening, aiming for a third consecutive victory before the league break. The team's morale is high following recent successes and the impressive debut of winger Pedro Brazão, who is expected to make his home debut at Sammy Ofer Stadium.

Young defender Noam Steifman, recently called up to the national team, will make his season debut for Maccabi Haifa, replacing Tsunami who reported groin sensitivity and will be rested. This marks the only change in the defensive line.

Forward Silva Kani will also be absent from the match after receiving boos from some fans during his last substitute appearance. He experienced knee pain, and a mutual decision was made to give him a rest.

Returning to the squad are last season's top scorer Guy Melamed, who has recovered from an injury, and Pedro Brazão, who was previously excluded due to the limit on foreign players. Kanga John is also set to return to the starting lineup after a two-game absence. "The burden of proof is on him," a club source stated, noting the high expectations and strong competition for his position.

The home crowd is anticipated to attend in large numbers, with police approving the entry of fan support equipment. Coach Barak Bakhar and goalkeeper Omri Glazer emphasized the importance of fan encouragement in their pre-match press conference.

An estimated lineup includes Omri Glazer; Yalla Betaye, Nigel Lonwijk, Noam Steifman, Kenny Saief; Ali Mohamed, Eitan Azulai, Bruninho; Pedro Brazão, Kanga John, and Andrija Novakovich.