Maccabi Haifa's Nigel Lonwijk plays in Toto Cup as a trialist
Maccabi Haifa players Nigel Lonwijk and Andrija Novakovich are appearing in the Toto Cup as trialists. The club is utilizing this option due to the current excess of registered foreign players in the squad.
Two foreign players for Maccabi Haifa, Nigel Lonwijk and Andrija Novakovich, are participating in Toto Cup matches as trialists due to the high number of foreign players already registered in the squad. As per tournament regulations, foreign players can feature in the Toto Cup without formal registration, allowing the club to provide them with necessary match fitness despite the current roster constraints.
Currently, the club has seven foreign players registered with the Football Association. This list includes Peter Agba, who is not in the team's plans and is not training with the squad, and Pedrao, who is not expected to remain at the club despite returning to fitness. Pedrao may even be included in the squad for tomorrow's match against Ironi Tiberias (Tuesday, 20:00, Sport 1). Consequently, the two new foreign signings—a defender and a striker—have not yet been formally registered.
The defender, who arrived from the English club Wolverhampton, already played in the match against Ironi Kiryat Shmona as a trialist and is expected to feature in the same capacity tomorrow. Novakovich, who has been sidelined by a virus, is also not yet registered and will play as a trialist if he takes the field in the Toto Cup.
It should be noted that this is purely a bureaucratic procedure. Both players have already signed contracts with Maccabi Haifa and will feature for the club in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, Agba is likely to be sent out on loan, and both Pedrao and Nahuel—who is not registered but remains under contract—are expected to leave the club.
