Scout.il

Israeli second league top 5 U23 forwards

2015-12-13T03:44:00.000-08:00

Michael Ohana

Position: Midfield, Attacking Midfield

Age: 20

Club: FC Ashdod

National Teams: Israel U21, U19

Apps: 18 Assists: 7

Probably the talented player on the list. His resume includes a trial with Liverpool (at the start of the last premier league season) and some outstanding dribbles and goals. Although playing in the second league Michael Ohana is yet considered the most talented prospect in the first two leagues.

Dean David

Position: Striker

Age: 19

Club: FC Ashdod

National Teams: Israel U21, U19

Apps: 19 Goals: 11

The main beneficiary of Ohana’s assists is FC Ashdod young striker Dean David. David is a pure scorer with a record of 40 goals for Ashdod U19 team in the last two seasons and 11 goals so far in his first team premier season.

Ya'akov Brihon

Position: Winger

Age: 22

Club: Hapoel Rishon LeZion F.C

National Teams: Israel U19

Apps: 16Goals: 9

A late bloomer, the talent was always there for him but he probably just waited for the right time. After scoring one goals in the last two season, Brihon already scored 9 goals and most likely will be playing next year in the first league.

Yonatan Cohen

Position: Winger

Age: 19

Club: Beitar Tel Aviv Ramla F.C.

National Teams: Israel U21

Apps: 15 Goals: 7

Yonatan Cohen was one of the dominant players in youth league last season, scoring 24 goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv U19 team. As a left footed winger his main advantage is his move from the right side to the center and then using his strong long shots.

Or Inbrom

Position: Winger

Age: 19

Club: FC Ashdod

National Teams: Israel U19

Apps: 18 Goals: 6

Another product of the FC Ashdod academy, a versatile attacking midfield, very good with the ball and good finishing. Can play in a variety of positions – Right/Left winger, attacking midfield and second striker.

One-Way Ticket: Tel Aviv - Switzerland

2015-11-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team has succeeded, over the last years, to export some fine players to European leagues and clubs, with the primary beneficiary probably being the Swiss Super League. Moussa Konaté, Munas Dabbur and Emmanuel Mayuka are three players that traveled the path from Maccabi Tel Aviv U19 to the Swiss first league. Konaté and Dabbur who played together in Maccabi’s U19 (season 2011/12) are now two of the leading strikers in the Swiss Super League. Emmanuel Mayuka played two years earlier for BSC Young Boys and scored 20 goals.

Moussa Konaté (22), striker, FC Sion, Market value: 7.00 Mill. €

Maccabi's first signing for the 2011–12 season, playing both the first and U19 team.

After a successful season - 6 senior goals plus 3 goals with the youth team, his big breakthrough came when he excelled playing for Senegal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, scoring five goals. His performance in the summer Olympics led FC Krasnodar to sign the young striker for a fee of 2 million € after previously being linked with Premier League clubs.

After an unsuccessful time at Krasnodar and Genoa (On July 2013, Konaté joined Italian Serie A side on a season-long loan deal) he moved to FC Sion.

Munas Dabbur (23), striker, Grasshopper Club Zürich, Market value: 5.00 Mill. €.

The numbers tells the story - 40 goals and 24 assists in 72 games (all competitions).

On February 4, 2014 former Maccabi Tel Aviv’s striker moved to Grasshopper for only 300,000 € (release clause) and has been mentioned as one of the Swiss Super League’s biggest transfer coups of last year. Dabbur, with a Market value of 5 million €, is already linked with Palermo and Bundesliga clubs such as Borussia Mönchengladbach, Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV.

Emmanuel Mayuka (24), striker, FC Metz, Market value:

Mayuka joined Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2008. The centre-forward had been linked to a number of big name teams before eventually settling on Maccabi. Porto were rumored to be interested, but a move to Portugal never materialized. Mayuka scored 8 goals for the youth team during 2008/09 and 14 goals on the following season.

In 2010 Mayuka signed for Young Boys of Switzerland. The former Maccabi man made his debut against FC Thun on 17th July 2010. He was close to taking Young Boys into the 2010/11 Champions League, before Tottenham overturned a 3-0 deficit. Mayuka performed well in the Europa League, netting a double against Stuttgart on 1st December 2010. He scored 10 league goals during the 2010/11 Super League season, before netting a further 9 the following campaign.

Mayuka played a key role in Zambia’s dramatic 2012 African Nations Cup Final triumph. He helped the 'Chipolopolo' out of the group stage with goals against Senegal and Libya. On 8th February 2012 Mayuka netted the winner against Ghana in the semi-final. He also scored a penalty in the winning shootout against Ivory Coast in the final.

On 28th August 2012 Mayuka signed a five year deal with Southampton for a fee believed to be in the region of €4,000,000.

Maccabi’s goal is to continue with this strategy of exporting youth players. Two of the upcoming prospects that could travel the same path from Maccabi Tel Aviv U19 to the Swiss Super League are Olanrewaju Kehinde and Mavis Tchibota.

Could be the next prospects heading their way to the Swiss league. Tchibota & Kehinde

Olanrewaju Kehinde (21), striker, Hapoel Kfar Saba.

Nigeria’s U23 striker joined Maccabi’s youth team in 2013 and has already played (on loan) for 3 different teams in Israel: Hakoah Ramat Gan, Hapoel Afula and Hapoel Kfar Saba. Last season was his best, scoring 29 goals for Hapoel Afula, including 20 in the Liga Leumit (Israel’s second league).

Kehinde Olanrewaju was linked to a switch to Mouscron-Péruwelz in the ongoing summer transfer market before he completed his move to Israeli Premier League newcomer Hapoel Kfar Saba.

Mavis Tchibota (19), Winger, Hapoel Kfar Saba

Congo U17, U21 player, first season as a senior footballer. Scored 13 goals last year in Maccabi’s U19 team. Exciting winger (left/right), combines speed and high technique. His weaknesses are poor stamina and over dribbling.

Lazar Djurovic: a big catch or a big flop?

2015-11-04T01:40:00.000-08:00

After bringing the young goalkeeper Fredereg Raikovich to Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Serbian coach Slaviša Jokanović bought Lazar Djurovic (18) - another young Serbian prospect and former Red Star youth player too. Djurovic signed a four-year contract with Maccabi while his fist year will be at the youth team.

Lazar Djurovic was linked to other clubs like Čukarički and AEK this summer but eventually choose

to join the Maccabi’s Serbian colony, together with Fredereg Raikovich, Nikola Mitrović and coach Jokanović.

Lazar Djurovic against Porto

(Credit: www.maccabi-tlv.co.il)

Although he came to Maccabi as a promising young player and one of Red Star academy last year’s top scorer, Djurovic showing poor performances so far and having difficulties justifying his reputation.

His first game with Maccabi U19 was against Chelsea as part of UEFA youth league group stage. Maccabi eventually lost 0:3 and Djurovic were substituted after 70 min. In the second game, at home against Dinamo Kiev (1:1), the young Serbian found himself sitting 90 min on the bench. Djurovic’s second appearance was away against Porto - once again, without any goals scored (Lost 0:2).

The situation in the local youth league is not different. Djurovic played in five from six games so far (two as a substitute) yet without scoring any goals. At the moments, it looks like normal ups and downs while adjusting his new team and country yet it seem like Djurovic's time is starting to run out.

Barak Levi: Fewest goals conceded while being in last place

2015-10-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

Maccabi Natanya’s keeper Barak Levi (22) is probably the reason why his team is in the last place and yet conceded the fewest goals in the league – 2 goals less than the team in the first place (Hapoel Be'er Sheva).

Barak Levi, who moved (on a loan) to Maccabi Natanya this summer, started his senior career at Maccabi Tel Aviv and now establishing himself as the leading goalkeeper of the team. One of the things that promote Barak’s career is his time around such a valued and experienced keepers as Juan Pablo Colinas and Vincent Enyeama in the last three years at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Lowest average of goals conceded per game. Barak Levi

.(Credit: Maccabi Natanya’s Facebook)

Barak’s stats so far are quite amazing, despite the situation of his team:

Finishing 6 from 10 games with clean sheet (league + Toto cup).

Lowest average of goals conceded per league game – 0.88 (see table below).

Second young goalkeeper in the league (only Predrag Rajković is younger)

All that in his debut season as a first choice keeper.

Due to his consistently good performances, Levi has recently been called up by the national team coach Eli Guttman. The young goalkeeper joined the blue and white as the third choice keeper against Cyprus and Belgium.

Watch Levi’s amazing save against Bnei Sakhnin (from 4:00):

Jokanović backs Dor Peretz to shine

2015-10-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last year’s Maccabi Tel Aviv coach, Pako Ayestarán, was the first to notice the potential of Dor Peretz. The young midfielder (20) had 29 appearances last season (22 in the starting 11), most of them as a central defender – not his natural position. Peretz played an important role as Pako’s third choice center back.

.Gaining a champions league experience
(Peretz vs Porto (credit: maccabi-tlv.co.il

Peretz’s big jump this season happened mostly due to his new position as a midfielder. This transition helps him reach his potential and the 2015/16 open season is a good indication of this. Slaviša Jokanović, Maccabi’s current coach, is probably the main cause for Peretz’s progress. After few attempts in the pre-season training camp, Jokanović, as a former defensive midfielder, figured that it will be better to earn a good talented midfielder than a medium center back.

As coach Jokanović predicted, Peretz is having a great season so far. Besides playing a dominant role in the local league games (finished 90 min in every league game so far), he recently made his debut for the national team against Belgium (only four months after his U21 debut) and took part in the UEFA champions league including 20 min against Chelsea plus 180 min against Dinamo Kiev and Porto.

Comparison between Dor Peretz’s last two starting seasons

Maccabi’s world-class talents

2015-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

The Israeli champion of the last three years, Maccabi Tel Aviv, probably holds two of the best young goalkeepers in world football – the Serbian Fredereg Raikovich (20) and the local Haviv Ohayon (17).

.Raikovich (in action) and Ohayon in practice
(Credit: maccabi-tlv.co.il)

Fredereg Raikovich

The highly rated young Serbian who moved this summer from Red Star (Serbia) signed a five-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) for a fee of €3 million. He was mentioned by The France football magazine as one of the top 50 young players in the world together with names like Anthony Martial, Alen Halilovic and Martin Odegaard.

In his short career so far, Raikovich has already won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with the Serbian national team, including winning the title of FIFA U-20 World Cup Best goalkeeper, and established himself as the starting goalkeeper and the captain of Red star.

Haviv Ohayon

Unlike Fredereg Raikovich, Ohayon is a product of Maccabi Tel Aviv youth academy. Paulo Sousa, who managed Maccabi during the 2013-14 season, called up Ohayon to the senior squad two years ago at the age of 15, believing that the young keeper would be a future star. At the beginning of the season Ohayon was planned to be the second choice goalkeeper (second to Juan Pablo Colinas) but the arrival of the young Serbian keeper changed those plans.

Ohayon was returned to the youth team in order to take part in the UEFA Youth League. His performance at Chelsea at the start of this tournament was extremely positive, even though Maccabi lost 3-0. Recently Ohayon was mentioned by the Guardian in the list of the 50 best young talents in world football.