Maccabi Haifa Wins Friendly 2-0 in Hungary as New Season Begins
Maccabi Haifa kicked off their 2026/27 preseason campaign with a 2-0 victory over Scottish opposition during their training camp in Hungary on Saturday. After a difficult previous season that ended without any titles or European qualification, the club is aiming for a significant turnaround under coach Barak Bachar.
Bachar included returning defender Yarin Levi, who rejoined from Beitar Jerusalem after two years, as well as new signing Yair Mordechai from Ironi Kiryat Shmona and Iyad Khalili, back from a loan spell at Bnei Reineh. Mordechai opened the scoring in the 7th minute following a rebound from Khalili’s shot. Eitan Azulai doubled the lead in the 17th minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box.
The starting lineup featured Georgi Yermakov, Yela Betay, Noam Shtiefman, Lissab Issat, Sean Goldberg, Amit Arazi, Yarin Levi, Eitan Azulai, Iyad Khalili, Yair Mordechai, and Guy Melamed. The club also engaged fans with quizzes and prize giveaways during the preseason.
Maccabi Haifa looks to build on this positive start as they prepare for the upcoming season, hoping to improve on last year’s disappointing results and secure a return to European competitions.
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