Adrian Ugarriza May Start for Hapoel Kiryat Shmona as Club Awaits Stadium Repairs

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona aims to maintain its perfect Toto Cup record with a home match against Bnei Sakhnin on Tuesday. Peruvian striker Adrian Ugarriza, who debuted this season as a substitute in the previous round, is expected to start for the first time. Despite a strong previous season where he was the league's second top scorer with 18 goals, Ugarriza has yet to attract offers meeting the club's one million euro asking price, making it likely he will begin the season with Kiryat Shmona.

Coach Shai Breda experimented with various lineups in the final training session and plans to rotate the squad due to the heavy schedule, with players facing their third match in seven days. Meanwhile, the club continues to grapple with the lack of a home stadium, marking the fourth consecutive season they must host games at Netanya's Maccabi Stadium. Repairs to their home ground, damaged by Hezbollah rockets during the war, are ongoing, and the club has criticized delays in the renovation process, especially given the relatively calm situation on the northern border.

The local municipality insists the team will return to its true home stadium early in the Premier League season, targeting either September 14 against Maccabi Haifa or October 10 versus Hapoel Tel Aviv as the likely dates for the homecoming. The club remains focused on both sporting success and resolving its stadium challenges.