Hapoel Haifa put down an early marker for the new season on Tuesday evening, beating Ironi Tiberias 3-1 at Sammy Ofer Stadium in round two of the Toto Cup group stage — though the mood inside the home camp afterwards was measured rather than jubilant.
Alon Torgeman put the hosts ahead inside eight minutes and restored their lead in the 33rd after Qais Ghanem had levelled for the visitors midway through the first half. Wahib Habiballah, who signed for Haifa from Tiberias this summer on a two-year deal, completed the scoring in the 76th minute — fittingly, against the club he had just left.
Manager Haim Silvas, back at Haifa for a second spell in charge, was careful not to get carried away by the result. "There's modest optimism, but we have to remember this is only the Toto Cup," he said, according to ONE, describing his side's pre-season form as "a process of trial and learning" in which players are visibly improving from one game to the next.
Torgeman, 35, said he is enjoying his best form in years. "I've never felt better in the last three years," he said, adding that goals are secondary for him right now to making sure the squad is properly prepared for the league campaign ahead.
For Tiberias, manager Moti Krispin had little to dress up. He said his players had performed poorly, particularly before the break, and described Haifa's approach as "intensive and controlled." Asked about reports of organizational unrest at the club, Krispin declined to be drawn, saying he preferred to keep the conversation on football.
Tiberias player Itamar Shviro offered a more forgiving reading of the display, saying the club's younger players are using the Toto Cup to learn on the job while the more experienced squad members try to lead by example on the pitch.
The Toto Cup group stage exists precisely for moments like this: a low-stakes proving ground where clubs experiment with personnel and shape fitness before the Israeli league season resumes in earnest. Silvas's caution, and Krispin's frankness, both reflect a shared understanding that Tuesday's result — however lopsided in the closing stages — will count for little once the real season begins.
