Maccabi Haifa Set to Start Pedro in Toto Cup Match After 18 Months

Maccabi Haifa will host Hapoel Jerusalem on Monday evening in their final Toto Cup match, serving as a dress rehearsal before the league opener against Hapoel Ramat Gan. Coach Barak Bachar plans a surprise in central defense, with Pedro expected to start his first official game since the 2024/25 season. The club has not made a final decision on Pedro's status, which depends on the release of Peter Agba and the possible last-minute signing of a foreign player, though chances for the latter are considered low.

Tsunami will play as left-back for the upcoming league matches, with Yila Btayi and Nigel Lonwijk completing the defensive quartet alongside Pedro and Tsunami. Omri Glazer will return as goalkeeper. In the attack, due to Andrea Novakovic's registration issues, Silva Kani will start, while Cedric Don and Manuel Benson will share playing time.

Additionally, Maccabi Haifa announced the signing of goalkeeper Omer Niraon as backup to Omri Glazer. Niraon is in the final stages of recovery and is expected to miss the league opener against Hapoel Ramat Gan but could be ready for the match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The projected lineup includes Omri Glazer; Yila Btayi, Nigel Lonwijk, Pedro, Tsunami; Yarin Levi, Eitan Azulai, Bronninio; Cedric Don, Kenji Hura, and Silva Kani.