Just ahead of the opening whistle for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Matchday 24 Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al contest against Hapoel Haifa on Saturday night at 20:30 at the Netanya Stadium, Ori Sliman will be honored for his contribution to the Yellow & Blue defense during the 1970’s.

Ori Sliman was promoted to the First Team by Head Coach Israel Halivner and made his debut against Hapoel Jerusalem two weeks before the end of the 1970/71 season. Sliman was not yet a member of the Maccabi squad that won the Asian Club Championship Cup two months earlier, but the following season he won his first title with the club as he celebrated the league championship after a season in which he made 21 league appearances. In fact he scored his first goal in the final match of the season, a 3-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva.

As a youth player, Sliman played a more offensive role but in the First Team he earned the reputation of being a tough and effective defender. Over the course of his career with the club, Sliman won the double in the 1976/77 season and the championship in 1978/79. In 1982, Sliman left the team for the first time but returned for a second term shortly after the start of the 1984/85 season. He made one appearance for the Israel national team in a 2-1 victory over Holland’s Olympic squad.