Summary: Gent - Maccabi Haifa 1:1/Sport1
1.
Huge joy in Maccabi Haifa after qualifying for the round of 16 of the Conference League.
Throughout the last period there was talk within the club that reaching such a stage would symbolize progress.
After last season in which they were in the group stage of the Champions League, the Greens wanted to register another European season that will be remembered in the history of the club and are convinced that they were up to the task.
"In a season like this, with only one home game in Europe since we have to play the group stage, reaching the quarter-finals is a huge achievement," stated a club official.
"Everyone already paid tribute to us at home in the Europa League and at the end even in March we are still in Europe."
The team complimented coach Masai Dago who, after the first victory in Bloomfield since 2011 and Maccabi Haifa's first ever away victory in the group stage, led the team to a European achievement like no other since 2007. Great," complimented a member of the group.
The team arrived at the peak of preparedness and despite the expulsion did not fall apart and stood excellently."
Kicking in sequence after sequence.
Masai Dago/GettyImages
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2.
The one who received criticism following the second yellow was Daniel Sondgren, when the team felt that he could have avoided the expulsion, but were proud that the result was preserved even with a numerical disadvantage and despite the massive pressure of Gent.
Sundgren would have missed the next game anyway, as the early yellow he picked up was his third.
"The second half was just heart and soul," said one of the players.
"Every minute felt like five, but what's important is that we qualified and made history."
Tomorrow the team will land in Israel and start preparing for the away game against MS Ashdod on Sunday.
After dropping two points in the derby, the Greens know they cannot allow themselves to stumble against the Southerners as well.
Dago will make some changes in the lineup, as the team was very happy with the entry of Pierre Cornot after he was absent in the last few weeks.
Lorenzo Shimich and Sean Goldberg are expected to return to the lineup, Gadi Kinda and Danil Lesvoi are also in the 11 picture.
could have avoided expulsion.
Daniel Sondgren/Reuters
3.
In the month of November, Maccabi Haifa fans and people around the team called for everything to bring Josh Cohen back, and this in light of the disappointment with Itamar Nitzan and the faltering start of Sherif Kiuf.
In Haifa they decided to put their trust in the young goalkeeper and it paid off big on the field.
In the eyes of many, Kioff was the standout in the game in Ghent and has the biggest stakes in reaching the last eight.
Kioff made some impressive saves, especially in the second half, and kept the Greens in the game.
"Sharif proves from time to time that he is a great goalkeeper," praised one of his teammates.
"He also gives the defense a lot of confidence."
Another player who received compliments yesterday is Franzi Piero, the striker scored his 12th goal in the Haifa uniform in the European competitions and equaled Yaniv Ketan in second place.
Piero is three goals away from the record Alon Mizrahi and as mentioned he will have two more games to try to get closer to Aviron.
The striker from Haiti received criticism after the derby, and not for the first time since he landed in Israel, he arrived determined to prove himself and did so in the first minutes.
The striker is recording impressive numbers this season both in the league and in Europe (17 goals in all formats) and Haifa said they are convinced that Piero will compete to the end for the top scorer title in the league as well.
Getting better.
Sharif Kioff/GettyImages
4.
Before the game, a surprise awaited the Maccabi Haifa players, when their friend in the dressing room until recently, Charon Sherry, came to Ghent to support and encourage them.
The Dutchman was loaned to Nijmegen due to the fact that his son cannot fly and the desire to be by his side, and so far shows a very impressive ability.
Sherry, who is very attached to the players and the club, was determined to come and see his friends again.
The Dutchman encouraged the players and told them that he has no doubt that they will act and be champions at the end of the season.
Gave strength.
Charon Sherry/Barney Ardov
5.
Now in Haifa they will wait for a draw that can provide very intriguing games against Lille, Aston Villa, Fenerbahce and Fiorentina among others.
In Haifa, they are disappointed by the fact that the chances of the game taking place in Israel are slim, especially in light of the fact that the Israeli champion is the one who will host the first game.
Haifa would like to see a big team such as Fiorentina or Aston Villa come to the city, but they will probably be hosted in Hungary.
The club knows that the draw against an attractive team may bring thousands of Haifa fans to Hungary as well.
Haifa did not receive a ranking point for the qualification, but the score of the Israeli league went up by one point.
Also, the Greens increased the financial grants this season from Europe due to the achievement to about 12 million euros.
Haifa can add two ranking points to themselves if they win one of the games in the round of 16.
More on the same topic:
Maccabi Haifa
Masai Dago
Sheriff Kiof
Franzi Piero