This is only the start, says Bakhar
FOOTBALL BARAK Bakhar believes Hapoel Beer Sheva can dominate Israeli football after they ended a 40-year wait to be crowned Ligat Ha’Al champions.
The Negev team started the final match of the season two points ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv, who were looking for a fourth straight title. With an inferior goal difference, Beer Sheva had to win to become champions.
The 16,000 fans at Beer Sheva’s Turner stadium were stunned into silence after just six minutes as Sakhnin took an early lead through Firas Migrabi.
Hapoel staged an impressive comeback, Maor Buzaglo equalised 10 minutes later and Maor Melikson put Beer Sheva ahead just before half-time.
There were frayed nerves in the second half as Beer Sheva failed to take chances to extend their lead but Ben Sahar, the former Chelsea striker, came off the bench to secure the league title with a 77th-minute strike.
Bakhar, the Hapoel coach, said: “Maccabi, as always, picked up the points and took us all the way but ultimately I think we were hungrier for the title and that made the differ- ence. This is not a one-off. We are at the top to stay.”
Alona Barkat, the Hapoel owner, was thrown in the air by her joyous players after the match. Buying the team nine years ago when it was in the second division, she has led them out of 40 years in the football wilderness. “Next stop Champions League,” she said.
Yossi Benayoun, 36, has been left out of Israel’s squad for next week’s friendly against Serbia. Benayoun brought down the curtain on his Maccabi Haifa career by lifting the Israeli FA Cup on Tuesday.