Hapoel Be'er Sheva Faces Urgent Wake-Up Call After 3-1 Loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv

Hapoel Be'er Sheva suffered a 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday in the Israeli Super Cup, losing their first title of the season. The club expressed deep disappointment not only with the result but also with the team's defensive performance, lack of aggression, and overall focus during the match. Only a few players, including Amir Ghanach, Kings Kangwa, and Eliel Peretz, showed notable contributions before the team fell short.

Inside the club, frustration was palpable, with players and staff urging a swift turnaround ahead of a crucial upcoming match on Tuesday. One player emphasized the need to "wake up quickly" to avoid losing two titles to Maccabi Tel Aviv within two months. Coach Ran Kozuch remained reserved in his comments but stressed the importance of passion and focus returning immediately.

Adding to the club's woes, new signing Joao Victor sustained a suspected significant hamstring injury during the game, potentially sidelining him for the European qualifiers. The team will conduct further tests to determine the severity. Meanwhile, Hapoel Be'er Sheva is preparing for their European campaign with a trip to Iceland to acclimate to the synthetic pitch conditions. Several key players, including Chamudi Kna'an, Zahi Ahmed, Javon East, Jibril Diop, Samir Farhoud, and Mohammad Abu Romi, are expected to be available.

The club continues to seek reinforcements, specifically a foreign center-back and left-back. Additionally, player Niv Eliasi has temporarily paused a move to Greek club Levadiakos, awaiting a more attractive offer. The club remains optimistic about Amir Ghanach's development this season, anticipating further improvements in his performance and statistics.