Eight Maccabi Tel Aviv players have been included in the senior Israeli national squad for the upcoming 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Northern Ireland. Four young MTA stars also received call ups for the Under-21s
This week the Israeli national squad will be getting together ahead of their two final qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On October 11th they'll face Portugal away and four days later host Northern Ireland here in Israel. Head coach Eli Gutman has capped eight Maccabi Tel Aviv players for the squad – Eitan Tibi, Omri Ben Harush, Sheran Yeini, Mahran Radi, Gal Alberman, Eran Zahavi, Tal Ben Haim and Barak Itzhaki, who has had his first call-up in four years.
Here follows the full list of the Israeli national squad:
Goalkeepers:
Dudu Aouate (RCD Mallorca), Ariel Harush (Beitar Jerusalem), Boris Kleiman (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Defenders:
Eyal Meshumar (Maccabi Haifa), Orel Dagani (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Ofir Davidzada (Hapoel Beer Sheva), Tal Ben Haim (Standard Liege), Eytan Tibi (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Dekel Keinan (Maccabi Haifa), Omri Ben Harush (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
Midfielders:
Bibras Natkho (Rubin Kazan), Mahran Radi (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Sheran Yeini (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Gal Alberman (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Nir Biton (Celtic), Eran Zahavi (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Lior Refaelov (Club Brugge), Hen Ezra (Maccabi Haifa), Maor Melikson (Valenciennes)
Strikers:
Barak Itzhaki (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Elyaniv Barda (Hapoel Beer Sheva), Omer Damari (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Etai Shechter (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Eden Ben Basat (Toulouse), Tal Ben Haim (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
In addition, four young MTA stars have been called up for the Young Israel national side, who will be facing Portugal on Thursday October 10th and Norway the following Tuesday October 15th in their qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. The four – goalkeeper Barak Levi, striker Munas Dabbur and midfielders Omri Altman and Dor Micha – have all been called upon by head coach Michael Nees to join his squad for the two matches, bringing to twelve the total number of Maccabi Tel Aviv players capped for the two Israeli national teams.
