Hapoel Petah Tikva Awaits Visa Clearance to Finalize Chipioka Songa Transfer to Portugal

Hapoel Petah Tikva suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ironi Tiberias in the opening round of the Israeli Premier League on August 22, 2026, leading to significant frustration within the club, particularly directed at the refereeing team. The club accused the officials of disrespect and expressed anger over the disallowed equalizing goal in the final minutes. Initially, the team claimed there was no justification for the offside call and were further upset that referee Shnir Levi reversed his decision despite a malfunctioning video review screen. However, after the referees explained that the decision was changed due to a clear offside, the club's anger somewhat subsided. Additionally, the team criticized the short added time of five minutes, arguing that the video review itself took nearly four minutes.

Hapoel Petah Tikva is still working to complete its squad. Bolivian defender Diego Aroyo, formerly of Shakhtar Donetsk, attended the match and is expected to sign officially and join training soon after his delayed release from Ukraine. Coach Omer Peretz continues to seek two more reinforcements. Meanwhile, Chipioka Songa, who has been left out of the squad for two consecutive games, is set to transfer to Portuguese club Moreirense. The deal between the clubs is finalized, but Songa's departure is pending visa approval, which is expected to be resolved by midweek. The transfer fee is approximately 800,000 euros, with Petah Tikva retaining a percentage of any future sale.

Despite the disappointing result, about 900 loyal fans traveled to Nof HaGalil to support the team throughout the match. The club is eager to end a streak of five consecutive losses, including Toto Cup matches, and aims to return to winning ways in the next league game against Hapoel Jerusalem at home.