Maccabi U11 boys win Kanga Cup

THE annual Kanga Cup in Canberra is the largest youth tournament for U9s to U18s in the Southern Hemisphere, so a huge mazal tov to the Maccabi-Hakoah FC U11 team who emerged from the nation’s capital last weekend with the U11 open shield trophy in their hands. This enormous achievement was well deserved, as this talented team had made the semis in 2022 and were runners-up in 2023 – both in younger age divisions – so their potential was already there. This time, they topped Pool A by winning all of their 7 round robin games, accumulating a goals for/against difference of +26. They were in a strong pool too, as Kemps Creek United only lost one game and had a net goal difference of +18, while two other teams had +12 net goal difference and had won four games each. In the final, the Maccabi boys overcame a similarly strong North Sydney United – who had been undefeated in their pool – to earn the trophy. That result for Maccabi was even more impressive, given that their in-form centre back, Evan Sacharowitz, missed most of the first half due to an injury and when he returned in the second half, he had to adjust to playing in the unfamiliar position of striker. It’s a week the boys – Evan, Cooper, Jay, Jake, Brody, and brothers Jono and Ethan – will never forget, as they have played together for Maccabi for several years, in the eastern suburbs competition and are all great friends.  Credit AJN