Mohammad Abu Fani got 61 minutes of Serbian SuperLiga football on Sunday as Red Star Belgrade beat local rivals Vojvodina 3-1 in the Eternal Derby, opening their league campaign with a second straight win, Sport5 reported.
The match at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, known to everyone in Belgrade as the Marakana, was the second round of the new season. Osman Bukari, Vasilije Kostov and Dimitrije Šarić scored for the hosts, while Nardin Mulahusejnović pulled one back for Vojvodina in the 32nd minute before Šarić settled the contest deep into stoppage time.
Abu Fani started in Red Star's midfield and was withdrawn just past the hour mark as manager Dejan Stanković rotated his side in a derby that was largely settled by half-time.
It is one of the Israel international's first competitive outings since his move to Belgrade. Abu Fani signed for Red Star from Ferencváros on 13 June, agreeing a three-year deal with a club option for a fourth season, and has taken the number 15 shirt.
Stanković, who managed Abu Fani during his own spell in charge at Ferencváros, was said to have pushed hard for the signing after taking over at Red Star.
Abu Fani, 28, came through the Maccabi Haifa academy and won three straight Israeli championships with the club before leaving for Hungary in the summer of 2023. Across three seasons at Ferencváros he won two Nemzeti Bajnokság I titles and a Hungarian Cup, establishing himself as a regular for the Israel national team along the way.
The derby win keeps Red Star perfect after two rounds of the new Serbian SuperLiga season, and Abu Fani will be aiming for a fuller ninety minutes as his integration into Stanković's squad continues.
