24.9.2002,
First of all I am really sorry if I will use too much times with the phrase "Historic". So it is a historic day in Israeli football. Not just a first win in the Champions League but 3-0 against Olympiakos, the team who killed Leverkusen 6-2, kicked 4-0 in the last game back in the league at home. How can it be?

Ajipor stops Giovani, Haifa stops Olympiakos!

Well I really can't believe it, Maccabi Haifa won against Olympiakos 3-0. 3 goals by the Nigerian Igabini Yakobo were enough to make all Israel smile, now no one can laugh at us. Every Maccabi Haifa player did his best, but first of all I got to apologias to Mr. (soon Sir) Itzhak Shom that is a pungent as a garlic(Shom in Hebrew) in a good way. In the start of the season I thought he was a plop when he came to Maccabi Haifa but he made us all very proud of him and his team. The Maccabi Haifa defense stopped giving respect to Olympiakos players, not like how they did in Old-Traford and it really helped them get the win. The Olympiakos attacking force didn’t made one really good chance, all their shots came outside of the box. Zoutaotas that didn’t played last week in Manchester due to an injury tonight was a significant player on the field and stopped a lot of Olympiakos attacks in the midfield. The craziest thing is that Maccabi Haifa disserved to win but only with 1 or 2 goals, but 3 it is beyond any dream.
If any one can spot someone from Olympiakos please tell me I am still looking for them, yes the same team that showed Leverkusen how to play football 6 days ago. No Karmebu, no Djordjevic, no one was in Nicosia tonight. Ok maybe Karembu's beautiful wife was there but she inspired Haifa.

Maccabi played well from the start when Praljia was close to score but Eleftheropoulos pushed the ball away. In the 9^th minute Harazi's header from a good spot went out. One minute latter Katan tried from 20 meters little bit diagonal but his shot whistle off the bar. Pralija again almost found the net when his shot from 18 meters went wide.
The first try of Olympiakos was in the 18^th minute when Djorjevic headed the ball over the bar from meters.
In the 27 minute, Badir(good) ran into the box and was brought down, penalty. Yakobo Igabini took the ball with a lot of coolness and smashed his first and not last goal in the Champions League, 1-0 to Maccabi Haifa. History was the feeling yet there is a lot of minutes until the end.
2 minutes later Yakobo almost scored his second but his ball went near the crossbar.
After the goal Olympiakos woke up. In the 39^th minute Zetterberg almost scored from a 25 meters free kick but Awate saved it to a corner kick.
The Greeks continued in the start of the second half, when Christos Patsatzoglou's kick from 25 meters went straight to Awate's hands. After that Giannakopoulos was close to beat the keeper but his shot went near the bar.
In the 60^th minute again history's name was brought to our mouth. Yakobo pasted Antzas with a lot of skill, speed and force and with only the keeper to beat sent the ball straight to the left bar and in, what a goal 2-0 to Maccabi Haifa, told you it wasn’t the last goal of Yakobo.
The Greeks were in a big shock however they continued to attack in order to get the first goal. Ninadis tried to strike but Awate turn it out very instinctively, after a minute Djordjevic kick a ball of the post. 8 minutes to the end Alexandris's shot went wide.
In the 86^th all Israel knew that history is nearby, another cracker by Yakobo the Nigerian made us all happy. Rosu passed the ball to the middle Yakobo ran like a lion to the ball, took it, past the keeper and slammed home the 3^rd goal on the night for him and us, can it be 3-0 to Maccabi Haifa!
Yes the feeling is great and I just can't describe it. Maccabi Tel Aviv that lost yesterday will met Maccabi Haifa on Saturday and it seems like they have to run for their life now, but who knows maybe Haifa will be too tired. After Maccabi Tel Aviv the green team face Leverkusen here at Nicosia, yes you can say "My God" now. Olympiakos? Well they like to play at home but didn’t they realize they were home, see them next week against Manchseter United.

Maccabi Haifa: Awate 7; Harazi 7(Zano 52'- 6), Ajipor 7, Benado 6, Kessi 6; Badir 8, Zautaotas 8, Praljia 7(Israelvic 87'), Rosu 6, Katan 7(Zandberg 79'); Yakobo 8.
Olympiakos: Eleftheropoulos 5; Patsatzoglou 5, Anatolakis 5, Antzas 3, Nantsidis 5; Karembeu 4, Ze Alias 4(Alexsandris 55'- 5), Djordjevic 4, Zetterberg 5(Ninadis 72'), Yanakopolos 4(Offoriky 80'); Giovani 3.
Masimo Dos Santos refereed in GSP std. Nicosia, Cyprus to 17 thousand fans.

DiD U Know: Yakobo was supposed to leave Haifa in the summer but he stayed because he didn’t got his work-permit in Derby County the English side.