Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19 side will host Hapoel Rishon Lezion at their home ground in Ness Ziona on Saturday at 11:00. Maccabi go into their 22nd round fixture in second place in the standings and will be confident after their State Cup eighth round victory during the week as they face opposition who are 14th in the standings. Maccabi won the first encounter between the two 1-0 earlier this season.

Elsewhere, U17, who lead their division, are away to Hapoel Haifa at Kiryat Haim at noon in the 19th round of action. They too will be confident of victory against Haifa who are next to bottom. Maccabi won the first meeting 1-0.

U16 play away against Hapoel Raanana at 8:30 in the 21st round of action. They too won their first meeting this season 1-0.

U15 host Maccabi Haifa at Kiryat Shalom at 10:30 in the 19th round of action. Haifa are the division leaders and Maccabi’s boys are in fourth place seven points off the pace.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” on Tuesday beat Hapoel Acre 3-1 in the eighth round of the State Cup, their first hurdle in the competition. Acre had already played three rounds in the tournament.

Maccabi were the more dominant side throughout but had to wait until added time in the first half when Ronen Hanchis pounced on a corner and shot sharply into the Acre net.

Maccabi added a second goal in the 57th minute when Parfait Guiagon made full use of a pass from Niv Berkovitz and he struck the ball home firmly from inside the area.

Acre pulled a goal back in the 84th minute, but Afek Sapir Navot made certain of the result in the 90th minute when after a 1-2 move with Guiagon, he shot powerfully from the edge of the area high into the Acre net.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s under-19’s away league fixture against Beitar Jerusalem was called off on Saturday because the wet weather conditions made the Bayit Vagan pitch unplayable and the match will be played at a later date.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded,” U17, scored a comfortable 3-0 win over Hapoel Beersheba in the 18th round of league action and have maintained their place at the top of the standings. Dor Turgeman scored twice and Zin Shalata added the third.

U16 and U15 both played in the State Cup and also registered wins. Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs,” U16, scored an emphatic 4-1 victory over Hapoel Rishon Lezion to reach the quarter-finals with Maccabi’s goals scored by Oscar Gloch (two) and Orel Baya and Yakir Zilberman.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad,” U15, were also clear winners over Hapoel Tel Aviv and their three goals without reply were scored by Tom Bloch, who hit two, and Lior Yosef.

Beitar Jerusalem will host Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” at Bayit Vagan on Saturday at 11:00 in the under-19 youth league. It will be a test of character for Maccabi’s players who take the field after their 6-1 win over Bnei Sakhnin last week. In their previous meeting this season, Maccabi won 1-0 in Ness Ziona thanks to an 86th minute goal by Itai Ben Hemo.

In the junior fixtures, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded”, U17, host Hapoel Beersheba at Kiryat Shalom at 11:00 in a return to action following an international break. Maccabi lead their division, while Beersheba are in eighth place and the boys will also hope for another win following their 7-1 victory in the south in their first meeting this season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs,” U16, and Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad,” U15, will host respective opponents Hapoel Rishon Lezion and Hapoel Tel Aviv in last-16 State Cup action at Kiryat Shalom at 08:30 and 11:00.

The under-19 league season is at its height, and coach Eliezer Ben Aharon’s players are holding their own in second place in the standings as the final third of the campaign is in full flow.

Four leading squad players spoke to us and gave us their perspective on how the season has progressed and how they have benefitted from being part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” squad.

These are our four squad members:
Omer Itzhaki, 19, central defender and captain, has been at Maccabi for a decade, loves to watch Lionel Messi and Barcelona. He hopes that in 10 years’ time he will be playing at the highest level of the game.

Ben Musayof, 17, goalkeeper has taken his place between the posts in his first season with the big boys after winning the Boys A title last year. He’s a fan of Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and wants to be the senior team’s captain in 10 years’ time.

Guy Mizrahi, 18, a right-back, is another product of the Maccabi youth academy. He has supported Arsenal since age six. He likes to watch box sets and play tennis.

Omri Ram, 18, a right-winger, is in his second season with the youth team and apart from football, he enjoys swimming which he says helps him to “switch off.” He loves to watch Liverpool’s passionate play.

Musayof said that he has been exposed to the best possible training at the Academy. “I work with the best coaches and fitness trainers in the country and I feel a great improvement in many aspects, including my footwork and with aerial play. Maccabi’s approach is that the goalkeeper is an additional player to the 10 colleagues ahead of him. He can also create tactical situations, so we also work hard on aspects which are more appropriate for non goalkeepers.”

Ram said mental preparation was an important focus. “I feel that I have improved thanks to talks I have with our mental coach and through the training obstacles that the team places before us to challenge us. We are also taught how to play simply, just like at the highest levels.”

Mizrahi said the values that the players are imbibed with “are very important, and the improvement can be seen in many aspects.”

Itzhaki spoke of his the changes he has experienced personally. “I have been at the club for over a decade and if I look at myself at the start of my journey compared to where I am today, I feel that I have improved out of all recognition.”

Ram said that morning training has added an additional aspect to specific points, while Musayof said that he preferred the early sessions during the week “to start the day with the things I like to do most. Nothing could be better.”

Mizrahi said: “It’s a huge bonus for me and my teammates and we should all appreciate every additional training session we receive.”

Mizrahi said Maccabi’s players were lucky to get more training than most other clubs who do not train in the morning. “When you join the sessions as a young player, you get to understand that football is not only a pastime for you, but that this is what you are going to do in your life in the foreseeable future.”

Additional training aids are also crucial for player development and as Mizrahi said: “It proves that the Academy is working to give the players the best possible tools to improve their skills and to advance the team as a whole.”

The broad team of professionals are there to help with all aspects, including learning from past mistakes, Musayof said.

All the players were thankful for the international tournament held earlier this year.

“Playing against good teams from abroad is something that can help improve us in so many aspects,” Musayof said.

“These sorts of events have allowed us to experience international competition, and that is the sort of level we need to aspire to,” Ram added.

Mizrahi said the form displayed by Maccabi, who won the six-team tournament that included three European teams, gave a push to raise the level, but Itzhaki summed up by saying that “winning this event three years in a row should not be taken for granted. It shows that the Academy has prepared us according to European standards.”

Maccabi “Shahar” Tel Aviv displayed their full dominance over visitors Bnei Sakhnin at Ness Ziona in their under-19 league clash on Saturday and delivered a thrashing that consolidated their second place in the division as RonenAsayag hit a hat trick, Ronen Hanchis scored twice and Yahli Lazar added another in a famous victory.

U16 continued their run of victories in the 21st round of action in their division and registered a 1-0 win over Hapoel Hadera, the goal being scored by Orel Baya.

U15 came back from Bayit Vagan with a 2-0 win over hosts Beitar Jerusalem in the 18th round of action in their league with Osher Bruchim and Roy Zersevsky scoring the goals.

U17 were not in action as the national team in their age group are playing in a friendly tournament in Germany.

Maccabi “Shahar” Tel Aviv displayed their full dominance over visitors Bnei Sakhnin at Ness Ziona in their under-19 league clash on Saturday and delivered a thrashing that consolidated their second place in the division.

Ronen Hanchis got Maccabi off to their flyer in the eighth minute as he chipped the ball over Sakhnin’s advancing goalkeeper and the ball landed in the back of the net.

Maccabi had to wait until the 37th minute for their second goal, when Parfait Guiagon, who was instrumental in scoring the first goal, passed the ball to Rave Assayag and he tapped the ball home.

At this point, Sakhnin were still in the running and pulled back with a goal of their own four minutes later when Nassim Abu Younes headed in, but things slipped away badly from them in the second half.

Yahli Lazar restored the two-goal advantage in the 59th minute, rolling the ball into an empty net as the goalkeeper was off his line and then Asayag made it 4-1 in the 74th minute. He added a fifth goal in the 77th minute to complete his hat trick and Hanchis completed the rout with a powerful shot in the 81st minute.

Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” host their under-19 counterparts from Bnei Sakhnin at Ness Ziona on Saturday, kickoff at 11:00 in the 20th round of action. Maccabi are in second place and. Sakhnin are 13th in the standings. Both sides will want to better the result of their previous meeting which ended 1-1.

U16 host Hapoel Hadera at Kiryat Shalom at 09:00 and will be looking to ride the momentum of of their big win last weekend and from second place in the standings, they will feel confident of another good result against their visitors, who are in 13th place. In the previous meeting, Hadera won 3-2.

U15 will play against Beitar Jerusalem at Bayit Vagan at 09:00.

U17 are on an international break.