State Cup Draw Features All Top-Tier Teams

The eighth round draw for the State Cup, sponsored by Winner, is scheduled for today, Thursday, at 11:00 AM at Ramat Gan Stadium. This marks the first time this season that all Premier League teams will participate. Fourteen teams from the top division will join 18 teams that have already secured their spots in the next stage. Of these 18, 14 advanced by winning their seventh-round matches, while four qualified automatically in the previous draw. The matches are slated to take place between December 24th and 28th.

Last night's seventh-round games concluded, highlighted by a dramatic match in the Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikva, where MS Ashdod defeated Bnei Yehuda 4-3 after extra time. The four teams from Liga Alef participating in the draw are Ironi Nesher, Hapoel Azor, Maccabi Yavne, and Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Malakhi. They will be joined by 14 teams from the National League, including Maccabi Bnei Raina, Maccabi Herzliya, Maccabi Kiryat Gat, and Hapoel Kfar Saba, who advanced automatically without playing a seventh-round game.

The full list of teams in the eighth-round draw includes 14 Premier League clubs: Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Netanya, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Beitar Jerusalem, Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Ramat Gan, Bnei Sakhnin, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, and Ironi Tiberias. The National League representatives are Maccabi Bnei Raina, Maccabi Herzliya, Maccabi Kiryat Gat, Hapoel Kfar Saba (automatic qualifiers), MS Kafr Qasim, Hapoel Acre, Hapoel Afula, Hapoel Rishon LeZion, Maccabi Ahi Nazareth, MS Kiryat Yam, MS Ashdod, Ironi Modi'in, Hapoel Kfar Shalem, and Hapoel Ra'anana. The four Liga Alef teams are Ironi Nesher, Hapoel Azor, Maccabi Yavne, and Maccabi Ironi Kiryat Malakhi.