Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight (Thursday) qualified for the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup for the first time in history after defeating Omonia Nicosia from Cyprus 1:3 in the return match in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.
The Yellows secured promotion after winning the first two sets, in a game that was played in a difficult atmosphere - when the Cypriot crowd waved Palestinian flags and signs condemning the State of Israel and even tried to disrupt the game.
The first set was tight throughout with a slight advantage for the locals who led by a margin that ranged from 2 to 3 points and reached its peak at 4 points.
But after a timeout by coach Gal Galili, the yellows returned to the game and bit into the gap until the tie 19:19 and later took the lead 20:21 which they kept until the end of the set which ended in a yellow victory 22:25.
The Cypriot crowd waved Palestinian flags and signs condemning the State of Israel,
The second set started in a similar way and the two teams were unable to escape each other, until in the middle of the set the yellows managed to create a 13:17 advantage, but the Cypriots stayed in the game and returned to equality 21:21 and later 22:22.
From here Maccabi took the lead again and a point by Kevin Foyer ensured a 23:25 victory in the second set and the historic qualification of an Israeli team to the semifinals of a European event.
The following sets were held for protocol only, with the coaches allowing the bench players to play as well.
In the third set, the hosts won 21:25.
The fourth set was controlled by yellow and the Maccabi players celebrated on the way to a 12:25 victory in the set and a 1:3 victory in the entire game.
In the semi-finals, Maccabi Tel Aviv will meet AFJ in the Portuguese Starado, with the first match being held in Hadar-Yosef and two weeks later the rematch will take place in Portugal.
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