Maccabi Haifa Praises Bruninho After Season-Opening Win, Seeks Replacement for Injured Benson

Maccabi Haifa began their 2026/27 season with a 2-1 home victory over Hapoel Ramat Gan on August 22, marking a positive start after disappointing Toto Cup performances. The club expressed satisfaction with the team's overall approach and especially highlighted the first half-hour of play. Bruninho, who scored the winning goal, was praised as a star player, with club officials noting, "He is a star, not without reason did we want him already in January. It’s good he arrived; he will contribute a lot to us."

Yarin Levi also stood out with a strong performance, and the club hopes that after signing a new contract, he can focus fully on football. Ali Mohamed’s impact was felt despite not being at full fitness, underscoring his importance to the squad. Coach Barak Bachar faces a midfield challenge ahead of the upcoming match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi Haifa acknowledges that the current level of play will need significant improvement to compete against stronger opponents and in tougher venues. Players such as Kangni Choura, Silva Kani, Vila Btayi, and Andrea Novakovic, who debuted and earned a penalty, are expected to step up soon. The club emphasized the importance of this opening league win, contrasting it with the criticism following Toto Cup games, and praised the fans for their continued support even during difficult moments, crediting them with contributing to the victory.

Separately, the club is actively searching for a right winger to replace the injured Manuel Benson, with several candidates under evaluation by the coaching staff.