Hapoel Haifa Secures Dramatic Win Over Bnei Sakhnin, Kiryat Shmona Also Triumphs in Toto Cup

The Toto Cup Group A third round kicked off on Saturday evening with two matches, both won by visiting teams. Hapoel Haifa continued their impressive form with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Bnei Sakhnin, moving closer to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Ironi Kiryat Shmona secured their second consecutive win by defeating Ironi Tiberias 1-0.

In the match at Doha, Hapoel Haifa dominated much of the game under coach Haim Silvas, controlling possession and midfield play. The visitors took the lead in the 35th minute when Yaad Gonen assisted Noam Cohen, who crossed to Alon Turgeman for his fourth goal in the tournament. Despite being reduced to ten men after Dario Zuparic’s red card in the 72nd minute, Haifa held on until injury time. Bnei Sakhnin equalized in the 95th minute through a brilliant goal by Mathieu Cojoh, but in the final moments (97th minute), substitute Hamed Moataz scored a stunning winner for Hapoel Haifa.

In the other game, Ironi Kiryat Shmona improved their strong start to the season with a 1-0 win over Ironi Tiberias. After a quiet first half, Kiryat Shmona increased the tempo and scored in the 61st minute when Ariel Shartzky delivered a perfect through ball to Rufat Abdulzada, who finished precisely for his first goal in Israel. Tiberias struggled to create chances, and despite the introduction of Adrian Ugurisa in the 72nd minute, Kiryat Shmona maintained their lead and remain in contention for the semi-finals.

The current standings in Group A show Hapoel Haifa leading with nine points from three wins, followed by Kiryat Shmona with six points from two matches. Upcoming fixtures on Tuesday include Kiryat Shmona vs. Bnei Sakhnin at 19:45 and Maccabi Haifa vs. Ironi Tiberias at 20:00.