Hapoel Be'er Sheva requested to postpone the Toto Cup match on Saturday - and was refused
The team will face Hapoel Haifa as planned in the ranking match at Sammy Ofer Stadium four days before the first meeting with Sabah. Ran Kozuch will field a secondary lineup.
Following their qualification for the Conference League playoffs, Hapoel Be'er Sheva appealed to the Football Leagues Directorate and the Football Association, requesting to postpone their match this coming Saturday (20:30) against Hapoel Haifa for fifth place in the Toto Cup. The request was denied, and the team will play the match on Saturday evening at Sammy Ofer Stadium. Coach Ran Kozuch will field a secondary lineup that will include players who do not usually feature, and if necessary, players from the youth team as well.
As a reminder, a team that reaches the playoffs of a European competition is entitled to postpone the opening round of the Israeli Premier League, and that is what Hapoel Be'er Sheva will do, as they were scheduled to host Hapoel Haifa at Turner Stadium in the first round. Hapoel Be'er Sheva will host Sabah in Bucharest on Wednesday, August 19, at 22:00, and will play the return leg in Baku on Tuesday, August 25. The first round falls exactly between the two playoff matches in Europe, but the club had hoped to postpone this Saturday's match as well. Unfortunately, they will have to play it after returning to the country this evening.
