Maccabi Ahi Nazareth F.C.
# Maccabi Ahi Nazareth F.C.

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Football Club (Hebrew: מכבי אחי נצרת, Mo'adon Kaduregel Maccabi Aḥi Natzrat; Arabic: نادي كرة القدم اخاء الناصرة, Nade Korat Alqadam Maccabi Ekhaa Al-Nasera) is an Israeli football club based in Nazareth. The club is currently in the Liga Leumit and plays at the Ilut Stadium in Ilut on the outskirts of the city.

## History

The club was formed in 1968, and played in Liga Gimel until 1975. In 1998 they were promoted to Liga Artzit (then the second tier), finishing eighth in the league. In 1999–2000 and 2000–01 they finished one place above the relegation zone.

The 2002–03 season saw the club claim the Liga Leumit title, despite being deducted three points for playing an ineligible player, under the leadership of Azmi Nassar. They were promoted to the Israeli Premier League for the first time in their history. Fellow Israeli Arab club Bnei Sakhnin were also promoted, marking the first time two Arab clubs had been in the top division.

However, in their first season in the top division, the club finished bottom and were relegated back to Liga Leumit. The following season they were relegated again (due to a two-point deduction), and dropped back into the third division. In 2005–06 they finished as Liga Artzit runners-up, to make an immediate return to Liga Leumit, where they have remained since.

In 2008–09, the club was promoted to the Israeli Premier League.

After one of the worst seasons in the Israeli Premier League the club finished in the last spot of the league, In the last match she lost to Hapoel Ramat Gan 0–7 and were directly relegated to Liga Leumit for the 2010–11 season.

In the 2014–15 Israel State Cup, the club reached the Semi-finals for the first time in their history, after eliminating Maccabi Netanya, F.C. Ashdod and Hapoel Kfar Saba. However, in the Semi-finals, they were beaten 0–3 by the eventual cup winners, Maccabi Tel Aviv in Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem.

## Current squad

As of 13 June 2022.

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | GK | ISR | Dan Drori |
| 3 | MF | ISR | Anas Azam |
| 4 | DF | ISR | Fadi Najar |
| 5 | DF | ISR | Erez Isakov |
| 6 | DF | ISR | Mohammed Nakhash |
| 7 | MF | ISR | Anas Dabour |
| 8 | MF | ISR | Amjad Sliman |
| 10 | FW | NGA | Benjamin Kuku |
| 11 | MF | ISR | Salah Hussein |
| 12 | DF | ISR | Jay Livne |
| 13 | DF | ISR | Amir Rustum |
| 14 | FW | CMR | Rodrigue Bongongui |
| 15 | DF | ISR | Atef Musa |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | ISR | Oshri Paz |
| 22 | MF | ISR | Mahmoud Abu Ahmed |
| 30 | GK | ISR | Omar Nahfaoui |
| 33 | MF | ISR | Yarin Gavri |
| 44 | DF | ISR | Nitay Bitan |
| 50 | MF | ISR | Mustapha Nadaf |
| 55 | DF | ISR | Gil Sellam |
| 70 | MF | ISR | Mustapha Gadban |
| 77 | FW | ISR | Ali Kna'ana |
| 80 | MF | ISR | Shadi Fahoum |
| 88 | MF | CIV | Alfa Mamadou Diané |
| 96 | FW | ISR | Raphael de la Sousa |
| 99 | MF | ISR | Wael Salem |

### Past managers

* Azmi Nassar
* Yehoshua Feigenbaum
* Michael Kadosh
* Eli Mahpud
* John Gregory
* Adham Hadiya
* Motti Ivanir
* Shlomi Dora
* Tal Banin

## Honours

* Liga Alef:
   * Winners (1): 1997–98
* Liga Leumit:
   * Winners (1): 2002–03
* Liga Artzit:
   * Runners-up (1): 2005–06
