Late Goals Decide Matches in Israeli National League
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
The ninth round of the Israeli National League saw dramatic finishes, with Bnei Yehuda defeating Kafr Qasim 1-0 in the 92nd minute to take the league lead. Hapoel Afula also secured a late 2-1 win over Ironi Modi'in. Kiryat Shmona drew 2-2 with Kiryat Gat after coming back from a two-goal deficit. In other matches, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth beat Maccabi Herzliya 2-1, and Hapoel Acre drew 0-0 with Maccabi Bnei Raina, a game marred by a fan incident involving Hapoel Acre's owner.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Bnei Yehuda defeated Kafr Qasim 1-0 with a 92nd-minute goal to top the National League table.
- Hapoel Afula secured a late 2-1 victory over Ironi Modi'in, moving to fourth place.
- Kiryat Shmona staged a comeback to draw 2-2 with Kiryat Gat thanks to late goals.
- Maccabi Ahi Nazareth beat Maccabi Herzliya 2-1, with Herzliya still in the relegation zone.
- Hapoel Acre drew 0-0 with Maccabi Bnei Raina, remaining winless and goalless this season.
- A fan incident involving Hapoel Acre's owner occurred after their goalless draw.
The ninth round of the Israeli National League delivered late drama on Friday, with several games decided in the closing minutes. Bnei Yehuda secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Kafr Qasim with a goal in the 92nd minute, propelling them to the top of the league table, at least until Monday. Despite a lackluster performance for much of the match, Bnei Yehuda displayed characteristic resilience, with Sagie Dror scoring the winning goal from outside the box shortly after their goalkeeper Tomer Litvinov made a vital save in the 90th minute.
In another dramatic encounter, Hapoel Afula continued their strong start to the season with a 2-1 win against Ironi Modi'in. After Ironi Modi'in's Ahmed Halaila opened the scoring in the 13th minute and Avihai Wadaj equalized in the 54th, Hapoel Afula secured the victory with a penalty in the final moments of the game, awarded after a foul in the box. This win lifts Hapoel Afula to fourth place.
Kiryat Shmona and Kiryat Gat played out an exciting 2-2 draw. Kiryat Gat took a 2-0 lead with an own goal from Ofek Attias and a strike from Ori Malka in the 48th minute. However, Kiryat Shmona fought back, with Ashley Kufido scoring in the 71st minute and an own goal from Ido Tessa in the 86th minute leveling the score. The draw leaves Kiryat Shmona in fifth place and Kiryat Gat in eleventh.
Maccabi Herzliya suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Maccabi Ahi Nazareth. Eli Blilaty scored from distance in the 34th minute, and Ibrahim Abu Ahmed added a second in the 50th after a goalkeeping error. Emmanuel Afe pulled one back for Herzliya from the penalty spot in the 75th minute after a red card was issued, but they couldn't find an equalizer. Maccabi Herzliya remains in 13th place with eight points, while Nazareth is tenth.
The match between Hapoel Acre and Maccabi Bnei Raina ended in a goalless 0-0 draw. Hapoel Acre, still without a goal after nine rounds, secured their first point of the season. Bnei Raina, despite a large budget, extended their winless streak to three games and sits in ninth place. Following the match, a disturbance occurred when fans allegedly reacted to a gesture from Hapoel Acre owner Tzachi Nakash, leading to police intervention. Nakash stated he would not sell the club and intended to keep them in the league.
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