Israeli Football Tribunal Rejects M.S. Ashdod's Request to Postpone Match Against Afula

On August 17, 2026, the Israeli football tribunal ruled against M.S. Ashdod's request to postpone their opening match against Hapoel Afula, which is scheduled for the following day. Ashdod had sought the delay due to ongoing proceedings involving Ironi Tiberias, arguing that if Tiberias were relegated, Ashdod would be required to replace them, making the league start irreversible under current conditions. The tribunal dismissed Ashdod's claims, stating that their request was based on speculative assumptions about potential sanctions against Tiberias. The tribunal emphasized that the disciplinary process against Tiberias could be lengthy, and it would be unreasonable to delay the league's start indefinitely. Consequently, the match will proceed as planned without any changes to the schedule.