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 and raising concerns about their form going forward. The club expressed deep dissatisfaction not only with the result but also with the team's defensive performance, lack of aggression, and poor concentration throughout the match. Only a few players, including Amir Ganah, Kings Kangwa, and Eliel Peretz, received praise for their efforts.

Following the loss, players and staff emphasized the need for immediate improvement, especially with a crucial upcoming match on Tuesday. One player remarked on the disappointment of losing two titles to Maccabi Tel Aviv within two months and stressed the urgency to "wake up quickly." The locker room was notably silent after the game, and coach Ran Kozuch refrained from extensive comments, urging the team to reflect and move on while highlighting concerns about the team's passion and commitment.

Adding to the club's troubles, new signing Joao Victor sustained a suspected significant hamstring injury, potentially sidelining him for the European qualifiers. He will undergo detailed medical examinations to determine the severity. Despite this setback, the team is preparing to travel to Iceland on Saturday to acclimate to the synthetic pitch ahead of their European matches. Several key players, including Chamudi Kna'an, Zahi Ahmed, Javon East, Jibril Diop, Samir Farhoud, and Mohammad Abu Romi, are expected to be available.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva continues to seek reinforcements, specifically a foreign center-back and a left-back. Meanwhile, player Niv Eliasi has temporarily paused his move to Levadiakos in Greece, awaiting a more attractive offer. The club remains optimistic about Amir Ganah's potential to improve his performance and statistics this season.

The defeat and injury concerns have put pressure on Hapoel Be'er Sheva to quickly regain form and focus as they face important challenges ahead in both domestic and European competitions.