Maccabi will play second division side Maccabi Ahi Nazareth in the State Cup semi-finals at "Teddy" Stadium in Jerusalem on April 29th
After overcoming the considerable hurdle of a two-legged quarter-final State Cup tie against title rivals Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Maccabi Tel Aviv this evening (Tuesday) were drawn to face second division side Maccabi Ahi Nazareth in semi-finals, a match to be played at the end of April at "Teddy" Stadium in Jerusalem.
After the draw Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran said that in light of the fact that his team's objective was to emerge victors in every match of the competition and win the Cup, they were pleased to face any opponent the draw handed them.
Former Maccabi striker Munas Dabbur, now playing for Swiss side Grasshopper, was also keen to comment on a draw that brought together his former club with the one at which he began his footballing career: "I was keeping tabs on the draw from Zurich online and through friends on What's Up. Mixed feelings, those are the only two words that come to mind right now. On the one hand Maccabi Ahi Nazareth is the team I grew up in, like a family, and their fans are all friends of mine. Not to mention the fact that my brother Anas is on their squad. On the other hand Maccabi Tel Aviv is where I played first-team football, which gave me the chance to play in Europe. It's just a pity it's the semi-final and not the final".
