Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD23 WINNER league match against Bnei Sakhnin knowing they need a victory to narrow the five-point gap from the top. With only four matches left to play in the regular season before the Playoff kicks off, Zarko Lazetic’s side would like to build on last week’s victory away to Kiryat Shmona in order to string a successive victory streak. On the bench alongside Roy Mishpati, Lazetic named Tyrese Asante, Eran Zahavi, Raz Shlomo, Yonas Malede, Elad Madmon, Ofir Davidzada, Ido Shahar and Osher Davida. Prior to kickoff, a minute of applauds was held in memory of former player and team manager Moshe ‘Pepo’ Israeli who passed away last month at the age of 90. Lazetic was forced to make a change at the restart as Tyrese Asante came on for Addo. Two minutes later, Nemanja Stojic burst forward from the halfway line before slipping the ball to Dor Peretz. But Sakhnin’s keeper Abu Nil charged off his goal line and dived at the feet of Maccabi’s captain to save. Two minutes after the hour mark the deadlock was finally broken as Patati got his well-deserved goal. Sakhnin’s defense failed to clear the ball which reached Kanichowsky on the edge of the area before the diminutive midfielder flicked it to the Brazilian wizard who still had his work cut out as he rounded the keeper and fired home. Lazetic made his second change on the night as Ido Shahar came on for Peretz in the 72nd minute adding a fresh pair of legs into midfield. Victory was secured in the 86th minute as Turgeman forced a mistake from a Sakhnin midfielder before picking up the ball and firing the third last Abu Nil for the third. Patati and Turgeman were given a standing ovation as they came off and were replaced by Osher Davida and Eran Zahavi. Within a minute Zahavi received the ball just inside the area before sending a dipping shot which landed on the roof of the net. Sign up for FREE in 2 easy steps to gain access to all online content and our newsletter: We are excited to welcome you to Maccabi Tel Aviv FC online. To gain access, please confirm your email address by opening the link in the email we sent you when you signed up. In the email you will find your membership number. In order to complete your registration please sign in. Your spot/s will be saved for 10 minutes in order for you to be able to complete the registration A code was sent to your mobile phone please click on it in order to confirm your registration. Then, click on "Finish registration". In an unprecedented move, once again concerning the Sakhnin soccer team, the Israel Football Association ruled today (Tuesday) for a rematch between Sakhnin and Beitar Jerusalem in the quarter-finals of the State Cup. Last week, the Israel Football Association ruled a technical loss against Sakhnin after it failed to arrange for the soccer game in the quarter-finals of the State Cup against Beitar two weeks ago, as it did not provide the number of security guards and ushers required to ensure the safety of the fans of both teams, despite being given ample time to prepare and fulfill its obligations as required by the regulations of the Israel Football Association and the Israel Police. This is not the first time that Sakhnin failed to fulfill its commitment to ensure the safety of fans, as only two years ago its game against Maccabi Haifa was canceled for the same reason, just moments before the kickoff, and ultimately received a punishment in the form of a technical loss. After receiving a similar punishment for this behavior again from the court of the Israel Football Association last week, Sakhnin appealed its punishment to the league, which issued an unprecedented ruling in its favor. The head of the tribunal, Professor Miguel Deutsch, noted in the ruling that this is a "difficult and borderline case" and even suggested that a high financial penalty be imposed on Sakhnin to be paid to both the management of the association and to Beitar Jerusalem for the significant financial losses resulting from the game cancellation two weeks ago, but ordered that a rematch be held between the two for the last ticket to the semi-finals of the State Cup. The league accepted Sakhnin's claim that it tried to hold the scheduled game and that it proposed several solutions that all turned out to be unacceptable. "The appellant was forced to change between fields due to police requirements and the refusal of the mayor of Haifa to allow it to play at a field in Haifa. It proposed various solutions to the problems and tried to meet the extreme security requirements it received." Although it was stated that the police demands were entirely reasonable, the ruling stated that "there was no possibility for the appellant to meet these requirements within the short time available to her due to the need to move between fields." Regarding the claim that this is a reward for Sakhnin for its unprofessionalism, Judge Deutsch wrote that this is "an exceptional step, limited to very special circumstances." 19 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Bnei Sakhnin won 2–1 over Maccabi Petach Tikva on Sat This is 30 of the Ligat HaAl Relegation Group Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Maccabi Petach Tikva 9 win(s) Have scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Maccabi Petach Tikva and Bnei Sakhnin on Sat 19 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT?Bnei Sakhnin won 2–1 over Maccabi Petach Tikva on Sat 19 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 8 goals in their last 5 matches Maccabi Petach Tikva is playing home against Bnei Sakhnin on Sat We are excited to welcome you to Maccabi Tel Aviv FC online please confirm your email address by opening the link in the email we sent you when you signed up In the email you will find your membership number In order to complete your registration please sign in A code was sent to your mobile phone please click on it in order to confirm your registration Several months have passed since the historic moment when an Israeli Premier League soccer game was stopped before the opening whistle and for the first time in the league's history The Sakhnin team refused to return to play and the Israel Football Association ruled that as punishment, a point would be detracted from Be'er Sheva's goal difference and the game would be ruled a 0:0 tie. Now, the two teams are set to meet again at Sakhnin's temporary stadium in Akko and there are those who fear a violent reprisal by the Sakhnin fans. Concerns of a riot come after Be'er Sheva fans shared threats they received on social media from Sakhnin fans in which they were warned not to go to the game in Akko. To protect the fans, the Be'er Sheva team is considering not selling them the visitors' section tickets allotted to them by the Sakhnin management. Israel Police and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are also in the picture and have announced that they would deal harshly with any violence - both threats or in practice. 26 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Bnei Sakhnin won 3–3 (4–2) over Ironi Modiin after penalties on Thu Who won between Bnei Sakhnin and Ironi Modiin on Thu 26 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT?Bnei Sakhnin won 3–3 (4–2) over Ironi Modiin after penalties on Thu 26 Dec 2024 17:30:00 GMT.InsightsHaven't won a match in 6 attempts Bnei Sakhnin is playing home against Ironi Modiin on Thu Israeli journalist Saeed Hassanein, announcer for Sakhnin FC home games, gave an interview to Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV calling the IDF an 'occupying army' and Israel an 'enemy.' This sparked controversy as he also justified a militant's respect for Islamic laws during captivity. Hassanein discussed the release of Hisham al-Sayed and discouraged Israeli Arabs from joining the IDF, describing the military path as 'immoral and unnational.' In response, Eran Kalfon, the chairman of the leagues, expressed shock over Hassanein's remarks, calling them unacceptable both socially and within Israeli soccer. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar demanded Hassanein's immediate dismissal, emphasizing that such statements undermine coexistence between Israelis and Arabs and harm solidarity in Israeli soccer. 02 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Hapoel Haifa won 2–1 over Bnei Sakhnin on Sun The current head to head record for the teams are Hapoel Haifa 13 win(s) Have scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Hapoel Haifa and Bnei Sakhnin on Sun 02 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT?Hapoel Haifa won 2–1 over Bnei Sakhnin on Sun 02 Mar 2025 18:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 10 goals in their last 5 matches Hapoel Haifa is playing home against Bnei Sakhnin on Sun 29 Mar 2025 17:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Bnei Sakhnin won 2–1 over Ironi Tiberias on Sat This is 28 of the Ligat HaAl Relegation Group The current head to head record for the teams are Bnei Sakhnin 0 win(s) Have scored 5 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Bnei Sakhnin and Ironi Tiberias on Sat 29 Mar 2025 17:00:00 GMT?Bnei Sakhnin won 2–1 over Ironi Tiberias on Sat 29 Mar 2025 17:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 3 goals in their last 5 matches Bnei Sakhnin is playing home against Ironi Tiberias on Sat 18 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Maccabi Haifa won 3–0 over Bnei Sakhnin on Sat The current head to head record for the teams are Bnei Sakhnin 8 win(s) Have scored 14 goals in their last 5 matches Who won between Bnei Sakhnin and Maccabi Haifa on Sat 18 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT?Maccabi Haifa won 3–0 over Bnei Sakhnin on Sat 18 Jan 2025 15:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 9 goals in their last 5 matches Bnei Sakhnin is playing home against Maccabi Haifa on Sat 03 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Beitar Jerusalem won 3–0 over Bnei Sakhnin on Thu The current head to head record for the teams are Bnei Sakhnin 17 win(s) Who won between Bnei Sakhnin and Beitar Jerusalem on Thu 03 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT?Beitar Jerusalem won 3–0 over Bnei Sakhnin on Thu 03 Apr 2025 17:30:00 GMT.InsightsBnei Sakhnin and Beitar Jerusalem have not drawn any of their last 3 matches against each other Bnei Sakhnin is playing home against Beitar Jerusalem on Thu 07 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Bnei Sakhnin won 1–0 over Hapoel Hadera on Mon This is 29 of the Ligat HaAl Relegation Group The current head to head record for the teams are Hapoel Hadera 12 win(s) Hapoel Hadera haven't lost to Bnei Sakhnin in their last 5 meetings (4W Haven't kept a clean sheet in 7 matches Who won between Hapoel Hadera and Bnei Sakhnin on Mon 07 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT?Bnei Sakhnin won 1–0 over Hapoel Hadera on Mon 07 Apr 2025 17:00:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 7 goals in their last 5 matches Hapoel Hadera is playing home against Bnei Sakhnin on Mon 2025An Arab Israeli soccer team dismissed its volunteer announcer on Monday over a statement he made in an interview regarding Saturday's hostage release and the way in which the Israeli hostages were treated by Hamas the former match announcer for Israel Premier League soccer team Bnei Sakhnin F.C. was arrested overnight into Wednesday following an interview he gave earlier this week to Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV channel in which he praised the group's actions during the October 7 attacks Palestinians in Israel Are Accused of Being 'Israeli Settlers'When Hezbollah launched missiles at the Galilee Arab towns of Kafr Manda and Sakhnin and their 55,000 residents and Arab news outlets labeled them as Israeli settlements among the towns' Palestinian residents 2024Get email notification for articles from Nagham Zbeedat FollowOct 13 2024As the war between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies Kafr Manda and Sakhnin – two Arab towns in northern Israel – have found themselves in the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons Maccabi arrived at Doha stadium for the MD8 ONE ZERO League encounter away to Bnei Sakhnin aiming to record their fourth successive league win and fifth in all competitions Robbie Keane’s charges currently lead the table with 16 points from the opening six matches thanks to a superior (17-3) goal tally than the season’s surprise team Maccabi Bnei Reineh who are second but played two more matches Maccabi began the match on the front with some slick passing which carved Sakhnin’s defence open as early as the 3rd minute Roy Revivo picked Eran Zahavi on the edge of the before the 36-year-old’s delicate backheal flick released Gabi Kanichowsky through The diminutive midfielder calmly slotted his shot into the bottom corner to put Maccabi infront with his second league goal and third in all competitions Dor Peretz could have doubled the score two minutes later as he found himself unmarked in the center of the area but the midfielder sliced his shot wide of the target Maccabi continued to dominate and came close once again as Dan Biton dribbled into the area on 27 before squaring towards the goal mouth only for Peretz to once again miscue his effort wide In the 43rd minute Felicio Milson charged into the area and cut the ball back for Zahavi but the veteran marksman who pounced on the chance to score blasted his shot over the crossbar Maccabi returned for the second half knowing that their stubborn opponents are capable of clawing their way back into the game In the 55th minute Peretz came close once again after Joris van Overeem won a challenge and fed the midfielder whose powerful drive was blocked by Sakhnin’s captain Maroun Gantous for a corner This was van Overeem’s final contribution on the night as he was replaced a minute later by Osher Davida Right on the hour mark Peretz finally got his goal as Kanichowsky spotted him on the edge of the area on his 300th appearance for Maccabi unleashed a thunderous right foot shot which was tipped by Mohamad Abu Nil onto his crossbar before striking the keeper’s back and landing inside the goal Milson came close in the 66th minute as the Angolan winger rifled Biton’s cut-back over the crossbar Three minutes later Milson’s shot forced Abu Nil to stretch himself and save while a minute later Zahavi bagged his 400th career goal with a perfect volley to increase the lead to 3-0 Biton and Zahavi bowed out before the match was restarted as Keane introduced Kiko Bondoso and Dor Turgeman A mistake in Maccabi’s defence on 75 allowed Ilay Elmkeis to beat Roy Mishpati for close range and cut the deficit Keane made his final two changes in the 77th minute as Eyal Golasa and Yonatan Cohen replaced by Peretz ams Milson Cohen’s impact was almost instant as his pinpoint cross found Davida unmarked at the far post but from almost point blank range the winger managed to guide the ball to the wrong side of the post In the 82nd minute however Sakhnin scored their second through Mohamad Shaker whose low drive made it 3-2 and ensured a nervous ending to the game Cohen led a counter attack in the 87th minute before his attempt of a square ball to Turgeman was cleared by Sakhnin’s defence The fourth official indicated six minutes of added time with Sakhnin desperate to grab a late equaliser Davida could have sealed the win in the closing minute as he broke into the area to run clear through but with only the keeper to beat had his effort saved by Abu Nil seconds before Orel Grinfeeld blew the final whistle Maccabi will now turn their attention to Thursday’s Conference League home match against Gent in Serbia JC Reporter 1 min readThe former match announcer for Israel Premier League team Bnei Sakhnin FC has reportedly been arrested after an interview in which he labelled Hamas “humane” surfaced in Israeli media also urged Arab-Israeli citizens not to join the IDF Speaking to the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV, Hassanain remarked that the way Hamas treated female hostages during their captivity “proves conclusively who is the barbarian and who is the humane one” in the context of the war in Gaza In the interview, obtained and aired by Israel’s Channel 14, Hassanain said that freed hostage Omer Shem Tov kissed his captors’ forehead during the handover ceremony staged by Hamas “willingly because he appreciates and respects what the person who held him did for him” “He who only thinks about joining the occupation army,” he continued “must think a million times where he is going and how he is selling his conscience his moral compass and his religion on this immoral path” released an official statement saying that Hassanain had been sacked from his volunteer role as the team’s play-caller for home games and that “it was made clear to him that the things he said do not represent the club” Following the announcement of Hassanain’s dismissal, Israeli police raided his home and arrested him on suspicion of incitement, according to Haaretz Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar likewise condemned Hassanain’s comments “This is a slap in the face of the Israeli soccer league Bnei Sakhnin club can’t be associated with such things otherwise we will not be able to bridge the rifts in Israeli society,” Zohar said Israeli Football Leagues Administration chairman Erez Kalfon added in a letter sent the club: “We were shocked by the outrageous false and unacceptable statements made by Mr Saeed Hassanain who holds an official position within Bnei Sakhnin as presented in his interview with Al-Aqsa TV – the television channel of the despicable terrorist organisation Hamas “These statements are, to say the least, unacceptable in Israeli society, and certainly in Israeli soccer.” It follows the arrests of 12 people at a match in Be’er Sheva when violent clashes broke out after Bnei Sakhnin supporters turned their backs during the playing of the national anthem were enraged by the move and a brawl ensued when they stormed the pitch and beat the opposition fans with long sticks A dozen rioters were arrested as players and referees took shelter away from the pitch while hundreds of people sprinted onto the turf to join in the fight Football Israel Hamas Sport 2024Get email notification for articles from Haaretz Sports Staff FollowSep 2 2024A riot broke out minutes before Sunday evening's Israel Premier League game between Hapoel Be'er Sheva and Bnei Sakhnin after some of the visiting fans turned around in protest during the playing of Israel's national anthem Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD21 ONE ZERO League match against Bnei Sakhnin after hosting the midweek cup tie against Maccabi Petah Tikva at Netanya who rested several players in the 4-0 victory over the second division side made seven changes to his starting line-up Daniel Peretz started in goal while Daniel Tenenbaum who kept a clean sheet against Petah Tikva and was involved with two of Maccabi’s goals suffered a back injury in training and was replaced on the bench by Or Yitzhak Nir Bitton returned to the heart of defence as the 31-year-old former Celtic defender partnered Derrick Luckassen as the two central defenders Andre Geraldes returned to the right full-back position with Enric Saborit completing Karanka’s back-four on the opposite left flank Dan Glazer and Dor Peretz were named by Karanka in the midfield engine room as the duo were set to face tough opposition from their Sakhnin counterparts Gabi Kanichowsky who scored a goal and assisted another against Petah Tikva and Parfait Guiagon were handed the wide roles in Karanka’s formation Eran Zahavi led the team out wearing the captain’s armband as the 35-year-old who scored 12 league goals partnered Djordje Jovanovic who bagged a brace against Petah Tikva but scored one goal less than Zahavi in the league who arrived on loan until the end of the season from French outfit OGC Nice didn’t make the substitutes bench but was unveiled to the Maccabi fans prior to kickoff Maccabi began the match on the front foot with pressure on Bnei Sakhnin’s defence right from the start Parfait Guiagon broke into the area in the 10th minute but his attempt to find one of his teammates was blocked and cleared by the visitors’ defence the visitors took the lead against the run of play as Beram Kayal found Fabian Sporkslede on the edge of the area Sporkslede sent a square ball into the path of Guy Melamed who blasted a right foot shot that gave Daniel Peretz no chance and Sakhnin a 1-0 lead Sakhnin’s Abou Doso had a shot which was blocked by Derrick Luckassen while a minute later at the opposite end headed a Gabi kanichowsky corner which was saved on the line by goalkeeper Gad Amos Hasan Hilu was the first player to go into the book of referee Yigal Frid for a foul on Guiagon in the 23rd minute Zahavi tried curling the resulting free kick which was blocked by one of Sakhnin’s players who stood in the wall Maccabi tried desperately to level the score and came close within a minute as Luckassen managed to head a Kanichowsky free kick goal-bound only for Amos to pull a spectacular point blank range and deny the Dutchman Sakhnin came close to double their lead in the 29th minute but Peretz came off his line to collect and prevent Melamed a close range tap-in Kanichowsky tried a long range effort two minutes later In the 36th minute a Beram Kayal tackle on Dor Peretz near the Sakhnin area saw Frid called to the VAR before he returned to the pitch and sent the veteran midfielder off with a red card Maccabi tried to exploit their numerical advantage as Zahavi snapped a left foot shot from inside the area in the 40th minute but once again Amos was well positioned to keep his goal locked Maccabi’s best chance of the first half came in the fifth and final minute of added time Peretz whipped-in a cross from the edge of the area before Djordje Jovanovic sent a powerful header forcing Amos to stretch himself and pull another stunning save Frid’s halftime whistle sent both teams to regroup in the dressing room for 15 minutes before returning for the second period The second half began where the first half left off as 30 seconds after the restart Guiagon charged into the area and was blocked before Jovanovic latched on the loose ball and forced another save from Amos In the 52nd minute Maccabi’s pressure paid off as Sakhnin failed to clear a Geraldes cross which fell to Saborit who spotted Zahavi unmarked at the center of the area The Spaniard slid the ball to the veteran marksman who turned and fired an accurate shot into the bottom far corner to level the score with his 13th league goal of the season Dan Glazer was booked in the 55th minute for a foul on Ihab Ghnaim near the center circle This was Glazer’s final contribution on the night as he was replaced by Eyal Golasa shortly after Maccabi continued to dominate and a minute after the hour mark Zahavi couldn’t direct his header on target as he sent Jovanovic’s cross over the crossbar Golasa released Saborit whose perfect square ball into the path of Zahavi was side footed by the 35-year-old striker wide the dual between Zahavi and Amos continued as Guiagon released the veteran striker but his effort was blocked by Sakhnin’s keeper Yonatan Cohen replaced Kanichowsky in the 68th minute as Karanka added a fresh pair of legs in a bid to carve an opening A rare Sakhnin attack in the 78th minute resulted with a corner which Dor Hugi headed and Peretz collected Cohen who was introduced only 11 minutes earlier pulled a muscle was replaced by Avi Rikan in the 79th minute In the 85th minute a Jovanovic cross into the path of Zahavi saw the veteran striker attempt a powerful volley which was blocked by a Sakhnin defender Saborit also tried his luck with a long range left foot effort but Amos managed to deny the Spanish defender as well Zahavi must have thought he had scored the winner inside injury time Zahavi headed Guiagon’s cross from close range but Amos pulled yet another stunning save to keep his goal locked Jovanovic wasted another chance in the dying seconds and as the ball ballooned into the stand it was proved that it is clearly not Maccabi’s night Maccabi arrived at Doha stadium where they suffered the first defeat on the opening day of the season for a match against a side they failed to beat in two attempts Five days after the 5-0 victory over Hapoel in the Tel Aviv derby suspensions and injuries forced Maccabi’s coach Mladen Krstajic to make several changes With Matan Baltaxa serving a one-match touchline ban Enric Saborit returned to the left side of defence with Shahar Piven moving to center alongside Josue Sa Andre Geraldes who made a substitute appearance against Hapoel returned to the starting line-up and completed the back four that protected Daniel Peretz in goal Dan Glazer led the team out wearing the captain’s armband as the midfield anchorman Avi Rikan who scored a brace and set up another in the derby suffered an ankle injury in training was withdrawn and replaced by Eyal Golasa Gabi Kanichowsky and Oscar Gloukh were also named by Krstajic in midfield with Djordje Jovanovic and Stipe Perica leading the line upfront In complete contrast to last week’s Tel Aviv derby the atmosphere at Doha stadium lacked the bite of a match in the top Playoff as less than 500 Maccabi fans travelled to Sakhnin Sakhnin’s central defender Ante Puljic picked a knee injury limped off and replaced in the 10th minute by Odah Marshall Maccabi’s loanee Moflah Shalattah blasted a shot high over Daniel Peretz’s goal Odah curled a left foot shot from the corner of the area that Peretz tipped onto his crossbar Stipe Perica sent a square ball into the path of Djordje Jovanovic but the Serbian forward was let down by his first touch before the danger was cleared by Sakhnin’s defence In the 29th minute Jovanovic rose to meet Enric Saborit’s cross with a header which was blocked for a corner Jovanovic’s aerial supremacy saw him head the resulting corner into the path of Josue Sa who couldn’t convert the ball over the line from close range Perica carved Sakhnin’s defence open as he released Jovanovic through in the 39th minute but the Serbian striker was denied by Mahmoud Kandil who charged out of his goal and saved for a corner Saborit rose high to head the resulting Oscar Gloukh corner towards goal but once again Kandil reacted well Peretz also kept himself busy as he was forced to a full stretch to catch a dangerous Guy Melamed shot in the 41st minute Erez Pappir’s halftime whistle sent both teams into the dressing rooms to regroup and return for the second half in hope that the stalemate will be broken The second half began where the first one left off as none of the teams seemed to be able to carve an opening Maccabi that looked dangerous mostly in set pieces came close in the 54th minute as Saborit reached a corner but his attempt of a toe-poke was caught by Kandil. Golasa flashed a right foot shot wide of the post in the 61st minute before Jovanovic blasted high over the bar less than 60 seconds later A minute later Krstajic made four changes as Ofir Davidzada came in for Saborit at left back Sheran Yeini and Brandley Kuwas stepped in Gabi Kanichowsky and Gloukh while Tal Ben Chaim replaced Perica An Andre Geraldes dangerous cross from the right sailed across the face of Sakhnin’s goal in the 65th minute but Jovanovic failed to connect Maccabi came even closer a minute later as Ben Chaim sent Jovanovic into the area only for his shot to be saved by Kandil’s feet Seconds after being introduced as a substitute for Sakhnin Ari Moura cut sent a powerful left foot shot that narrowly curled wide of Peretz’s post on 72. Krstajic made his fifth and final change as Eylon Almog stepped in for Eyal Golasa in the 76th minute. Ben Chaim fired high and wide over Kandil’s goal in the 79th minute as Maccabi tried desperately to break the deadlock In the 84th minute Almog dribbled towards the area and exchanged passes with Jovanovic before his shot was blocked by a Sakhnin’s defender Two minutes later Maccabi reached their best chance as Yeini sent Ben Chaim clear through before the forward shrugged off a defender’s challenge but once again Kandil pulled a reflex save Almog came close as his attempt of a cross in the 88th minute eluded Sakhnin’s defence and keeper but struck the crossbar and bounced out Deep inside injury time Sakhnin scored as Guy Melamed exchanged passes with Marshall before firing past Peretz to inflict Maccabi their second defeat of the Playoff a venue they failed to record a victory in the league last season in a bid to keep their top spot in the table achieved after the 3-0 derby victory last week Vladimir Ivic made several changes from the side which beat Hapoel at Bloomfield as he welcomed back into the side Andre Geraldes at right wing-back with Matan Hozez on the opposite flank at left wing-back Shahar Piven and Enric Saborit lined-up as the three central defenders in-front of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz Nir Bitton pushed slightly forward from his regular centra defender position as he joined Dor Peretz in the midfield engine room Oscar Gloukh was named at the top of the midfield right behind Eran Zahavi and Djordje Jovanovic who led the attack Ofir Davidzada and Maor Kandil who all waited for their chance to make an impact Maccabi began the match with pressure on the home side right from the start as it took Vladimir Ivic’s side 4 minutes to creat the first chance Andre Gerlades whipped in a cross from the right which was volleyed by Oscar Gloukh forcing Gad Amos to stretch himself and push the ball out Less than sixty seconds later the dual between Gloukh and Amos continued as the diminutive youngster blasted a shot from the edge of the area which was making its way into the top corner before the keeper turned over the crossbar While Sakhnin struggled to cross the halfway line Maccabi kept pushing forward down the channels with Matan Hozez down the left and Geraldes down the right sending crosses into the dangerzone a counter attack which began with Beram Kayal saw Shahar Piven clear the ball from the goalmouth before Guy Melamed could head in at the far post Maccabi’s defence failed to clear the resulting corner which fell to Hasan Hilu who slotted home the loose ball to the delight of the home fans But Sakhnin’s celebrations were shortlived as VAR intervened and canceled the goal following a handball in the move which led to the goal The game seemed to have opened up as Gloukh carried a counter attack in the 20th minute raced half the length of the pitch and released Eran Zahavi whose shot from the edge of the area but missed the target Skahnin were denied twice by the woodwork in the 29th minute as a Daniel Peretz was beaten by a Hilu curling cross which struck the post before Ovadia Darwish headed the rebound against the crossbar Sakhnin continued to look dangerous as Kayal narrowly missed the target as he sent a shot from inside the area wide of Peretz’s goal right on the half hour mark David Fuxman’s halftime whistle sent both teams into the dressing room to regroup and with no changes at halftime Maccabi returned after the interval determined to break the deadlock Three minutes after the restart Kayal float another dangerous cross which was headed by Ante Puljic at the far post only for Peretz to dive and save on his line In the 55th minute Gloukh carved Sakhnin’s defence as he released Zahavi who was let down by his first touch allowing Amos to charge off his line and recover the ball While Ivic was preparing to make a triple substitution Sakhnin got the ball in the back of the net as Nicolao Dumitro was put through by Melamed and calmly slotted home past Peretz But once again VAR came to the rescue and spotted an offside to rule the goal out Ivic made his changed as Hozez made way for Ofir Davidzada Maor Kandil replaced Andre Geraldes and Guiagon Parfait came in for Dor Peretz Gabi Kanichowsky replaced Gloukh as Ivic made his fourth change in the 74th minute Parfait and Davidzada combined well down the left flank in the 76th minute before the balk was crossed to Zahavi whose header was directed wide of the post In the 86th minute the deadlock was finally broken as Davidzada’s square ball across the face of goal allowed Maor Kandil to tuck the ball home from point blank range and put Maccabi infront No one celebrated before confirmation was received from VAR as the right back who had a goal disallowed in last week’s derby In the 90th minute Djordje Jovanovic could have doubled Maccabi’s lead as he raced clear through from the halfway line but the Serbian’s effort was directed straight at Amos Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at the Doha stadium for the ONE ZERO League MD32 against Bnei Sakhnin with a four-point-lead at the top of the table Robbie Keane’s side that beat Sakhnin 2-0 when both teams met at Bloomfield last month will aim to record their 23rd victory of the season and restore the lead at the top to seven points before facing Maccabi Haifa on Saturday Keane made no changes from the side that beat Bnei Reineh 3-2 as Roy Mishpati made his 30th appearance in Maccabi’s goal with Enric Saborit and Raz Shlomo lining-up as the two central defenders in front of him Roy Revivo on the right and Ofir Davidzada on the left completed Maccabi’s back-four with Eden Karzev keeping his place in the anchorman role Gabi Kanikowsky who scored his 10th goal against Reineh and Dor Perez who took his seasonal tally to 18 in all competitions completed Maccabi’s midfield trio Osher Davida who scored the opening goal last week and Felicio Milson supplied the width to Keane’s formation with Eran Zahavi leading the attack seeking to score his 36th goal in all competitions Joris van Overeem who recovered from a knee injury was back in the squad for the first time and named amongst the substitutes together with Daniel Tenenbaum Boosted by the support of around 2000 travelling fans Maccabi began the match on the front foot and had the ball in the back of the net as early as the fourth minute Sakhnin’s defense failed to clear a cross which fell to Osher Davida who slotted home from close range But the referee assistant raised his flag for an offside against Davida before the goal was disallowed Dor Hugi charged half the length of the pitch before the ball fell to Basil Huri whose shot from the edge of the area forced Roy Mishpati to a double save Eran Zahavi and Hasan Hilu were booked by referee Orel Grinfeeld for a tussle near the center circle Zahavi could have opened the score within a minute after he was teed up by Davida but the veteran marksman blasted his shot high over the crossbar Hugi tested Mishpati once again with a shot which was easily collected by Maccabi’s keeper on 21 before Grinfeeld awarded a penalty at the opposite end two minutes later as he spotted a foul on Gabi Kanichowsky The intervention of VAR called Grinfeeld to the screen as he overturned his initial decision and cancelled Maccabi’s spot kick Four minutes after the half hour mark Maccabi needed a last gasp tackle from Enric Saborit to rescue Mishpati from conceding after his attempt to clear the ball with his head caught him in no man’s land allowing Hugi a shot on goal Inside injury time Maccabi reached their best chances in the space of two minutes as Dor Peretz and Raz Shlomo couldn’t get enough contact on a telling cross which agonizingly crept wide of the far post A minute later Sakhnin’s keeper Mohammed Abu Nil spread himself across the goal-line to deny Kanikowsky’s point blank effort With no changes to either side at halftime both teams emerged for the second half knowing that only something special would break the deadlock Four minutes after the restart Kanichowsky carried the ball into the area before his shot was blocked by a Sakhnin defender In the 53rd minute the deadlock was finally broken at the end of a spectacular Roy Revivo solo run down the right Revivo’s pinpoint cut-back was swept by Davida in off the post to give Maccabi a promising 1-0 lead Milson could have doubled Maccabi’s lead after Kanichowsky cushioned the ball for the Angolan winger whose shot was saved by Abu Nil In the 61st minute and shortly after being booked for a tackle on a Sakhnin player picked his second booking to leave Maccabi down with 10 men for the final half hour As if losing Milson from Saturday’s match at Haifa wasn’t bad enough Sakhnin exploited their numerical advantage in the 67th minute Hilu rose high above Mishpati to head in a corner Keane reacted with a double change in the 75th minute as Zahavi and Davida both bowed out and replaced by Matan Baltaxa and Yonas Malede Sakhnin had the ball in Maccabi’s net in less than a minute later after a goalmouth scramble but Grinfeeld spotted a handball and disallowed the goal In the 88th minute Peretz headed a ball over the bar before Keane made another change as Idan Nachmias came on for Revivo Maccabi tried desperately to score a late winner but the full-time whistle meant the spoils will be shared and the gap from second place set on five points with both sides facing each other at the weekend Five days after making his Maccabi Tel Aviv debut against third division side Hapoel Marmorek in the State Cup Mladen Krstajic returned to Bloomfield stadium to make his league debut against third place Bnei Sakhnin With both teams tied on 21 points and only goal difference separating between them the newly appointed Serbian coach couldn’t have asked for a another match to guide Maccabi further up the table Bnei Sakhnin that inflicted Maccabi a 3-1 defeat on the opening day of the season arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the reverse fixture that opened the second league round Krstajic who had several players recovering from illness during the week made a host of changes from the side that beat Marmorek in the Cup pushed into the middle and joined Idan Nachmias and Luis Hernandez as three central defenders with Andre Geraldes and Matan Hozez as the two wing-backs on the right and left respectively Eden Shamir kept his place in the midfield engine room alongside Eyal Golasa who in the absence of Sheran Yeini led the team out wearing the captain’s armband Gabi Kanichowsky was assigned to a more attacking role as the diminutive midfielder lined-up alongside Brandley Kuwas with the duo responsible for supplying the ammunition for Croatian striker Stipe Perica upfront In the opening stages Maccabi tried attacking Sakhnin from the wings through Geraldes and Hozez but couldn’t reach a decisive chance or carve an opening Maccabi’s defence struggled to clear a corner as Ibrahima Conte whipped in a cross which was headed in by Ante Puljic past Daniel Peretz The linesman raised his flag for offside but after several minutes of inspecting the incident by VAR referee Eitan Shmuelevic allowed the goal to count as Sakhnin were in front Matan Hozez came close in the 22st minute as he was at the end of a Geraldes cross before firing a volley that Gad Amos managed to push for a corner Maccabi kept pressing Sakhnin and were awarded two more corners in the space of a minute before Gabi Kanichowsky curled the corner from the right and Matan Baltaxa ghosted at the near post to restore parity by heading-in the equaliser on 23 Eyal Golasa and Eden Shamir kept battling at the centre of the park with Sakhnin’s midfield trio of Mohamad Kabha Ihab Ghanaim and veteran captain Beram Kayal Hozez kept on looking lively as he picked a long pass from Shamir in the 32nd minute cut inside but fired his shot wide of the target In the 44th minute though a Kanichowsky run down the left saw Sakhnin’s Moti Barshatzky foul him from behind earning him a red card thus reducing the visitors to 10 men for the remainder of the game With no changes during the interval Maccabi began the second half with urgency aiming to capitalise on their numerical advantage a foul on Golasa on the edge of the area saw Kanichowsky’s initial free kick blocked before Amos stretched himself to save Golasa’s resulting rebound Krstajic made his first change as Tal Ben Chaim came in for Brandley Kuwas wasted as much time as possible and forced the game into minimum playing time a fact which caused tempers to flair both on and off the pitch Krstajic made a triple substitution in the 72nd minute as Shamir Golasa and Hozez were replaced by Dan Glazer Krstajic made his fifth and final substitution as Osama Khalaila replaced Stipe Perica for the final 9 minutes to try win the game against his former club Khalaila came close on 87 as he flashed a volley wide of the post following a Nachmias knock down Sakhnin’s time wasting antics didn’t go unnoticed as the referee awarded 10 minutes of additional time But several minutes after being booked for a tussle in the box Khalaila received his second booking for a clash of heads with a Sakhnin opponent the visitors managed to hang on amid the growing frustration amongst the majority of the 10,101 fans Shmuelevic’s final whistle saw Sakhnin and their coach Sharon Mimer celebrate the point they earned with Krstajic will have to wait for his first league victory elsewhere Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the ONE ZERO League MD21 early kickoff match against Bnei Sakhnin After the Home Front Command lifted its’ restrictions Bloomfield could finally be full to its’ capacity for the first time since October 7th Five days after the 2-0 defeat at Sammy Ofer which saw his side concede their second defeat of the season and lose pole position for the first time this season Maccabi will be aiming to return to winning ways Robbie Keane and his charges have 45 points from 20 matches trailing Haifa in the table on goal difference having scored 40 and conceded 17 Maccabi will be seeking their 15th league win of the season against Bnei Sakhnin that have 24 points and are ranked 7th in the table Since the 3-2 defeat to Maccabi at Doja on December 12th Slobodan Drapjic’s side were beaten only twice in the league by Haifa and Hapoel Be’ersheva Keane made several changes from Monday’s team as he welcomed back into the side Enric Saborit who partnered Raz Shlomo at the heart of defense Ofir Davidzada also stepped back into the left back role Avishai Cohen completing the four-man defense in front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz all kept their places as Maccabi’s midfield trio Felicio Milson returned after a month-long absence with his country at the African Cup of Nations The 24-year-old Angolan winger returned to Maccabi’s left wing with Dor Turgeman taking up the position on the opposite right flank Eran Zahavi lead the team out wearing the captain’s armband as the veteran captain wanted to end his five-goal barren run since scoring a brace in the Tel Aviv derby The 20,822 fans who arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the early kick off match enjoyed the winter sun which was more of an encouragement for Maccabi to start the match on the front foot Felicio Milson on one flank and Dor Turgeman on the opposite wing gave Robbie Keane’s side the width they needed as the Angolan winger tormented Sakhnin’s right side of defense early on In the sixth minute Avishai Cohen and Turgeman combined well before the youngster cut inside and fired a left foot shot that curled wide of the post Sakhnin’s captain Hasan Hilu picked an early booking for stopping a Turgeman counter-attack just past the halfway line In the 16th minute a Milson and Gabi Kanichowsky combination led to the former cut inside but blocked for a corner Two minutes later Milson was fouled just outside the area and near the touchline but from the visitors’ counter-attack Sakhnin took the lead through Mohamad Shaker Dor Peretz picked the ball near the corner of the area and charged forward before being fouled by Constantinos Soteriou who was consequently booked Eran Zahavi stepped up and blasted the free kick catching goalkeeper Mahamamed Abu Nil stranded on his goal-line but rattled the crossbar Peretz tried heading the rebound towards the open goal but the ball rolled out wide for a goal kick On the stroke of halftime Sakhnin’s coach Slobodan Drapjic was sent off by referee Gal Leibovic for dissent Keane made two changes after the interval as Roy Revivo and Kiko Bondoso replaced Ofir Davidzada and Joris van Overeem at the restart In the 48th minute Mishpati needed two attempts to collect a ball which headed back towards him giving Maccabi’s fans at Bloomfield more than a bit of a scare Three minutes later Sakhnin had the ball in the back of the net for the second time as Dor Hugi blasted in a shot that fell into his path following a Mishpati save But the goal was disallowed for offside keeping Maccabi’s deficit minimal Keane reacted as he made two more changes in the 58th minute with Ido Shahar and Osher Davida replacing both Peretz and Turgeman The impact was almost instant as Maccabi came close to level the score after Davida charged down the left His cut back picked Bondoso in the center of the area before the Portuguese midfielder’s shot was blocked by Sakhnin defense which also kept out Shahar’s attempt to fire in the rebound Right on the hour mark Maccabi came close once again and from almost the same position this time Kanichowsky sending his shot over the crossbar In the 73rd minute Milson cut into the box from the left sent the ball to  Bondoso before Zahavi’s weak shot was collected at ease by Abu Nil Keane made his fifth and final substitution on 76 as Yonas Malede was handed his home debut replacing Cohen for the closing stages A Kanichowsky drive in the 81st minute proved too powerful for Abu Nil to hold onto but none of Maccabi’s players could react and tuck the rebound home Maccabi continued to dominate and place Sakhnin’s defense under a siege but the visitors continued to hang on as the clock kept on ticking In the 88th minute Maccabi were finally rewarded for the efforts as Kanichowsky once again blasted a shot which came off Abu Nil’s chest Malede pounced on the rebound and slotted home the equalizer to level the score with his debut Maccabi goal The fourth official indicated seven minutes of added time before Shahar blasted a shot high over the crossbar The full time whistle however confirmed Maccabi will have to seek the three points elsewhere with their next match away to Maccabi Netanya on February 19th Saturday’s early kickoff match between Maccabi and Bnei Sakhnin will be the 70th match between the two sides in all competitions The record currently stands on 44 victories The 5-0 victory in the State Cup round of 16 last season was Maccabi’s highest victory over Sakhnin played 51 league matches against Sakhnin and has a 72.5% success rate This is the highest success rate from encounters against opponents Maccabi played for 40 league matches or more Maccabi has a 23-match-long unbeaten home round against Sakhnin – 18 victories and 5 draws Forty-seven different Maccabi players scored goals against Sakhnin as Eran Zahavi leads the list with 14 goals Sakhnin is the opponent Zahavi scored the most league goals against for Maccabi Zahavi is the only player who scored a hattrick against Sakhnin on the final matchday (36) of the 2013/14 season Sheran Yeini leads Maccabi’s players in appearances against Sakhnin featuring in 27 league matches Slobodan Drapjic faced Maccabi 20 times in the league and has a record of: 2 victories Hassanein claimed hostage Omer Shem-Tov kissed Hamas terrorists ‘out of appreciation and respect’ an Israeli-Arab journalist who served as the announcer for the Bnei Sakhnin football [soccer] team was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of incitement after an investigation according to a police statement Wednesday morning The police investigation came following an interview Sa'id Hassanein recently gave with the Hamas-run “Al-Aqsa” channel, in which he praised Hamas’ treatment of hostages, claiming that hostage Omer Shem Tov willingly kissed his captors out of appreciation and respect he expressed praise and glorification of the Hamas terror organization and spoke against the IDF and the State of Israel using phrases such as 'the occupation army The police also said that Hassanein attacked Israeli-Arabs who join the military “There are weak-minded individuals who join the ranks of the army and serve the enemy army,” Hassanein was quoted as saying Upon receiving several reports regarding problematic statements an investigation was opened by Northern District Police The police said that after gathering and reviewing evidence it was determined that his statements raised suspicions of incitement and Hassanein was arrested and brought in for questioning at the police station He was later brought to court for a hearing on the police’s request to extend his detention His statements sparked an uproar over the past few days especially after more details about his views came out On Tuesday, public broadcaster Kan’s Reshet Bet “This Morning” revealed that Hassanein expressed admiration for Hassan Nasrallah shortly after his killing "He couldn’t have died in any other way 'I move secretly from one place to another not out of fear of death—after all we all seek a martyr’s death—but so that the enemy cannot claim a victory through my elimination.’"  a man who believed in the Palestinian cause and the Arab cause.”  After the football leagues’ administration demanded that the Bnei Sakhnin football team immediately disavow his statements the club fired Hassanein from his position as announcer false and unacceptable statements made by Mr as expressed in an interview given on the television channel of the despicable terrorist organization Hamas.”  in Israeli society and not in Israeli football it is expected that the Bnei Sakhnin Football Club will immediately and irrevocably disavow both the statements and the words.”  The Government Press Office also announced the revocation of Hassanein's journalist credentials and the results of the police investigation but was dismissed from that position as well Hassanein had called himself a “journalist from the occupied Galilee.”  head of the right-wing human rights group B’Tsalmo filed a complaint with the police and the Attorney General regarding the issue After the announcement of Hassanein’s arrest  Glick stated “I welcome the arrest and now call for an indictment to be filed soon or incites against the IDF belongs in prison.”  Glick also filed complaints about the Israeli-Arab comedian Nidal Badarny, who was arrested on Monday regarding jokes in his stand-up routine involving the returned hostages and events surrounding the Oct The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel