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Maccabi Ahi Nazareth
Full name	Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Football Club; מועדון כדורגל מכבי אחי נצרת
Nickname(s)	Nazaret
Founded	1967
Ground	Ilut Stadium, Ilut, Nazareth; (Capacity: 4,932)
Chairman	Abo Ayash
Manager	John Gregory
League	Israeli Premier League
2008-09	Liga Leumit, 6th (promoted)
Home colours	Away colours

Maccabi Ahi Nazareth Football Club (Hebrew: מועדון כדורגל מכבי אחי נצרת‎, Moadon Kaduregel Maccabi Ahi Natzrat) is an Israeli football club. They are currently in the Israeli Premier League and play at the Ilut Stadium in Ilut on the outskirts of Nazareth.

[edit] History

The club was formed in 1967, and played in Liga Gimel until 1975. In 1998 they were promoted to Liga Artzit (then the second tier), finishing eighth in the league. In 1999-2000 and 2000-01 they finished one place above the relegation zone.

The 2002-03 season saw the club claim the Liga Leumit title (despite being deducted three points for playing an ineligible player) under the leadership of Azmi Nassar. They were promoted to the Premie League for the first time in their history. Fellow Israeli Arab club Bnei Sakhnin were also promoted, marking the first time two Arab clubs had been in the top division.

However, in their first season in the top division, the club finished bottom and were relegated back to Liga Leumit. The following season they were relegated again (due to a two-point deduction), and dropped back into the third division. In 2005-06 they finished as Liga Artzit runners-up, to make an immediate return to Liga Leumit, where they have remained since.

In 2008-09, the club was promoted to the Israeli Premier League.

[edit] Current squad

As of July 2009.

No.	Position	Player
22	GK	Gil Ofek
3	DF	Ismail Amar
4	DF	Mor Dahan
5	DF	Yakir Shina
8	MF	Amjad Soliman
9	FW	Tomer Hemed
10	FW	Tcham N'Toya
11	FW	Yves Djida
12	MF	Michael Tukura
14	MF	Shlomi Hanuka

No.	Position	Player
15	FW	Muhammed Amriya
17	DF	Majed Younes
18	MF	Hani Shahin
20	MF	Adham Hadiya
23	MF	Saleh Abu Ayash
25	DF	Eric Akoto
26	MF	Guy Dayan
77	DF	Mark Gorman
88	MF	Luhav Kiyal
99	MF	Yaniv Luzon
66	FW	Shlomi Edri

[edit] Out on loan

No.		Position	Player
			Tayseer AboHamad (to Maccabi Om Alfahem)
			Tamer Bamsha (to Maccabi Kafr Kanna F.C.)
			Imad Wahdani (to Maccabi Kafr Kanna F.C.)
			Aleran Hodida (to Hapoel Nazareth Illit)
			Moayad Lekhana (to Maccabi Kfar Qaree' Irroni)
			Haim Silvas (to Ahva Arraba F.C.)
			Samer Sarhan (to Maccabi Kafr Kanna F.C.)

No.		Position	Player
			Mohamed Allosh (to Ahva Arraba F.C.)
			Aleran Auhayon (to Maccabi Kfar Qaree' Irroni)
			Hamze Drawshe (to Maccabi Ahi Iksal)
			Yahouda Zno (to Hapoel Nazareth Illit)
			Firas Laham (to Beitar Nes Tubruk F.C.)
			Alaa Sayegh (to Maccabi Tamra)
			Ashraf Sulaiman (to Irroni Saeed Om Alfahm)
			Louay Abd Alkader (to Ma'adon Zae're Beer AlMaksor)