Zahi Ahmad Emerges as Key Player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Qualifiers

Zahi Ahmad has recently become the standout star for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, scoring crucial goals in their last two UEFA Champions League qualifying matches. Despite being a vital player for the team over the past two years, his breakthrough moment came with these decisive goals, including a match-winning strike against Red Star Belgrade that gave Be'er Sheva a 1-0 advantage ahead of the return leg in Belgrade's Marakana stadium. Ahmad, who will turn 25 tomorrow, hopes to celebrate by helping his team reach the Champions League playoff stage, just two wins away from entering the prestigious group stage.

Ahmad's journey to this point is notable for its humble beginnings. Raised in Abu Snan in the Western Galilee, he started playing youth football at local clubs without senior teams before moving to Hapoel Akko, where he debuted in the second division. His breakthrough came in the 2022/23 season with 13 goals, attracting top-tier Israeli clubs, including Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Initially, Be'er Sheva signed him but loaned him to Bnei Sakhnin to gain experience. Upon the arrival of coach Ran Kozuch, Ahmad was given a real chance to prove himself, fitting perfectly into Kozuch's demanding style of hard work and high pressing.

Ahmad has consistently delivered in critical moments, scoring the winning goal in the Israeli State Cup final and a decisive goal in the championship race last season. His recent European goals underline his importance, including a key equalizer against Vikingur Reykjavik and the winner against Red Star Belgrade. Beyond scoring, his defensive work rate and ability to disrupt opponents have earned him the coach's trust, even when his goal tally was modest.

Looking ahead, Ahmad is expected to start again in the crucial return leg against Red Star. He has also expressed ambitions to join the Israeli national team, a goal that seems increasingly attainable given his current form. Red Star and other European clubs have shown interest in Israeli players recently, and another strong performance could put Ahmad on the radar of major European teams.

Summary: Zahi Ahmad has risen as a crucial player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva, scoring decisive goals in Champions League qualifiers and helping the team approach a historic group stage appearance. His journey from lower-tier clubs to top-flight success highlights his work ethic and clutch performances, with ambitions to join the Israeli national team and attract European interest.

Points: - Zahi Ahmad scored key goals in Hapoel Be'er Sheva's recent Champions League qualifiers. - Ahmad's decisive goal gave Be'er Sheva a 1-0 lead over Red Star Belgrade ahead of the return leg. - He began his career in lower-tier clubs before breaking through at Hapoel Akko and then Be'er Sheva. - Coach Ran Kozuch values Ahmad's hard work and pressing style, granting him increasing playing time. - Ahmad has scored important goals in domestic cup and league finals for Be'er Sheva. - He aims to join the Israeli national team and attract interest from European clubs.

Topic: sports israel_relevant: true entities: {"people": ["Zahi Ahmad", "Ran Kozuch", "Rotem Hatuel", "Niv Eliasi", "Yoni Stoyanov", "Eliniv Breda", "Omer Atzili", "Felicio Milson", "Luisos Luiso", "Mohammad Abu Fani", "Omri Glazer"], "organizations": ["Hapoel Be'er Sheva", "Hapoel Akko", "Bnei Sakhnin", "Red Star Belgrade", "Maccabi Tel Aviv", "Maccabi Haifa", "Vikingur Reykjavik"], "places": ["Abu Snan", "Western Galilee", "Be'er Sheva", "Belgrade", "Marakana Stadium", "Israel", "Serbia"]}