The final four of this season's Toto Cup are set. Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Maccabi Netanya, and Hapoel Tel Aviv will meet Ironi Kiryat Shmona, with both semifinals kicking off simultaneously on Sunday, August 16 at 20:00, ONE reports.
The draw pairs the two Tel Aviv giants against provincial opposition rather than against each other, meaning the only way Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv can meet in this competition is in the final, which Sport5 reports is pencilled in for December.
According to ONE, the ties will be played at neutral venues — Netanya's Miriam Stadium and Petah Tikva's HaMoshava Stadium — though the report does not specify which semifinal has been assigned to which ground.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona booked their place in some style. The northern club topped their group with four straight wins in the round-robin phase and completed the job with a 3-1 comeback victory over Hapoel Haifa on August 8, according to Walla Sport.
Hapoel Tel Aviv reached the semifinal after finishing on top of their own group, a section they navigated with wins including a 2-0 result over Ashdod, setting up what looks a competitive tie against a Kiryat Shmona side in good early-season form.
Maccabi Netanya arrive off a strong group phase of their own, having gone through the round-robin stage unbeaten to finish top of their section and earn the trip to face Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The same weekend carries the rest of the Toto Cup's ranking playoffs, which decide final placings for clubs eliminated at the group stage. Ironi Tiberias host Maccabi Petah Tikva for 11th and 12th place, and Sakhnin host Hapoel Petah Tikva for 13th and 14th, both on Saturday at 20:15, ONE and Sport5 report.
Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Beersheva are separately scheduled to meet in a fifth-place playoff, while Monday's card features Maccabi Haifa hosting Hapoel Jerusalem and newly promoted Hapoel Ramat Gan hosting Beitar Jerusalem, the latter played in Rehovot.
For now, though, the headline draw is the last four: Maccabi Tel Aviv-Netanya and Hapoel Tel Aviv-Ironi Kiryat Shmona, both live on Sunday evening in a week that will decide two of the four finalists chasing this season's Toto Cup.
