Bnei Yehuda left it late once again, but this time their last-gasp heroics earned them silverware. This time, Stav Nahmani struck in the second minute of stoppage time to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Hapoel Acre in the Leumit League Toto Cup final, handing the Yellows their second consecutive title in the competition. Nahmani, who had already scored 10 goals in the opening nine rounds of the league season, took his tally to 15 across all competitions, leaving Acre heartbroken after they came within minutes of lifting their first trophy since the 2005/06 season.
Acre's struggle and path to the final
Hapoel Acre entered the final amid a particularly difficult start to the season, having collected just one point from nine league matches without scoring a single goal. Their only point came last Friday in a 0-0 draw against Maccabi Bnei Reineh. Despite their struggles in the league, Acre were on the verge of taking the final to a penalty shootout and moving a step closer to their first trophy since the 2005/06 season. However, Nahmani's stoppage-time strike denied them a rare moment of celebration in an otherwise challenging campaign.
Bnei Yehuda controlled the game from the outset and came close to opening the scoring in the ninth minute, when Ze Flores beat Nitai Greis but saw his header crash against the crossbar. The Yellows squandered another excellent opportunity in the 24th minute, when Da Silva found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper but failed to convert. The match's most troubling moment came in the 33rd minute, when Yacouba Toumagnon made a reckless challenge on Yuval Piven, leaving the Bnei Yehuda player injured and requiring transportation to Beilinson Hospital for further treatment.
Missed chances and a turning point
Despite Bnei Yehuda's dominance, Hapoel Acre came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 77th minute. Roi Zikri found himself one-on-one with Tomer Litvinov but shot wide, missing a golden opportunity to put his side ahead. Acre's task became even more difficult moments later, when Toumagnon committed another late sliding challenge, received his second yellow card and was sent off, leaving his team with 10 men.
With the match seemingly destined for a penalty shootout, Nahmani once again proved to be Bnei Yehuda's decisive figure. In the second minute of stoppage time, 90+2, the striker found the net to seal a dramatic 1-0 victory and secure the Yellows' second consecutive Toto Cup title. Last season, Bnei Yehuda defeated F.C. Kiryat Yam on penalties in the final. This time, they claimed the trophy with a last-gasp winner, adding another piece of silverware to their collection.