Yohai Aharoni

Yohai Aharoni

Personal information
Date of birth	(1943-06-08) 8 June 1943 (age 81)
Position(s)	Right winger
Youth career
	Hapoel Petach Tikva
	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
196?–1968	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda
1969–1970	Hapoel Petach Tikva	18
1970–1971	Beitar Tel Aviv
International career
1964–1965	Israel national team	5	(1)
Managerial career
	Hapoel Mahane Yehuda
	Hapoel Jaljulia
	Hapoel Aliyah Kfar Saba
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Yohai Aharoni (יוחאי אהרוני; born 8 June 1943) is an Israeli former football player and coach who played as a right winger. He is best known for playing in Hapoel Mahane Yehuda[1][2] and Hapoel Petah Tikva in Israel's prime league. On the Israel national team, Aharoni contributed to Israel's only Asia Cup victory.

Club career

On 30 September 1967, Aharoni scored the first goal in Hapoel Mahane Yehuda's 5–2 defeat of Hapoel Ramat Gan in Israel's first tier of that era, the Liga Leumit.[3] In January 1968, Hapoel Petach Tikva pressured Mahane Yehuda, through the Petah Tikva Worker's Council of Israel's largest trade union, to trade Aharoni against three specific players of their own.[1] Mahane Yehuda refused the offer and Aharoni went on quarantine so he could be released from his club.[4]

After the quarantine, in 1969–70, Aharoni had 18 caps for Hapoel Petah Tikva, 17 of which were in the opening squad.[4] His Hapoel Petah Tikva debut was on 18 October 1969, in a 0–0 draw against Hapoel Haifa.[4] In the summer of 1971, after a season at Beitar Tel Aviv, he quit his playing career due to an injury.[4]

International career

Aharoni earned five caps for the Israel national team, scoring one goal against India in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.[5] His first cap was on 26 May 1964 against the Hong Kong national team, a game that Israel won 1–0.[6] His last cap was a friendly game against the Netherlands on 26 January 1965, ending in a 1–0 loss for Israel.[6]

Managerial career

After his active playing career, Yohai Aharoni was a manager for Hapoel Mahane Yehuda, Hapoel Jaljulia, and Hapoel Aliyah Kfar Saba.[4] He also coached in Rosh HaAyin.

Legacy

In 2021 Aharoni was included in the Star Boulevard of Hapoel Mahane Yehuda, highlighting 12 footballers who starred for the club while it played in Israel's prime league.[2]

References

1. "הפועל פ״ת מציע למחנה יהודה: 3 שחקנים תמורת יוחאי אהרוני" [Hapoel PT offers Mahane Yehuda: 3 players for Yohai Aharoni]. Hadshot Hasport. January 1968 – via Hapoel Petach Tikva.
2. Goldberg, Asher (15 December 2021). "הפועל מחנה יהודה הנציחה את כוכביה המיתולוגיים" [Hapoel Mahane Yehuda has immortalized its mythological stars]. Walla!. הערב (רביעי) הקבוצה המשחקת בליגה ב' קיימה אירוע הנצחה ל-12 כוכביה הגדולים ביותר וחנכה את "שדרת כוכבי הפועל מחנה יהודה" בנוכחות ראש העיר פתח תקוה רמי גרינברג, נציג מרכז הפועל וההתאחדות לכדורגל, מיכאל וייסמן ויו"ר העמותה ד"ר אמנון מעבי. [...] 12 כוכבי העבר אשר נבחרו לשדרת הכוכבים הם: משה גמליאל, שלמה בן דוד, שלמה צ'ובי שרעבי, מאיר מיס כהן, ציון אהרוני, עוזיאל ביטרמן, צבי אופנהיים, אלקנה שמן, יוחאי אהרוני, בני רצון, יגאל רצאבי, זכריה רצאבי.
3. "כל משחקי הפועל רמת גן בליגה הראשונה" [All of Hapoel Ramat Gan's games in the first tier] (PDF). Hapoel Ramat Gan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2022. 19 : יוחאי אהרוני עט על כדור ריבאונד של זנדר. 1:0. [19: Yohai pounced on Zander's rebound ball. 1:0]
4. "יוחאי אהרוני" [Yohai Aharoni]. Hapoel Petach Tikva Museum. Hapoel Petach Tikva.
5. "Yohai Aharoni". EU Football.
6. "אהרוני יוחאי" [Aharoni, Yohai]. Israel Football Association.