February 5, 2026
The refugee from the war in Ukraine who caused a sensation in soccer
גולנקוב ומכבי חיפה, צילום: אינסטגרם של מכבי חיפה
Maccabi Haifa's youth team won yesterday in one of the biggest games in Israeli soccer.
Maccabi Haifa played against Barcelona, the European champions, in the UEFA Youth League.
They won and advanced to the round of 16.
The game lasted 120 minutes.
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In the end, it was a 2-2 draw.
The game went into a penalty shootout. Maccabi Haifa's goalkeeper, Mark Golenkov, excelled. He stopped three kicks. Thanks to his outstanding performance, the team won 3-1 in the penalties. They advanced to the round of 16 in the competition.
This is not the first time Golenkov has saved the game. The 17-year-old goalkeeper also played excellently against Nantes in the previous round.
Golenkov immigrated to Israel as a refugee from the war in Ukraine. He is Jewish. He played in Dynamo Kyiv's youth department. At the age of 14, he moved to Be'er Sheva and later to Haifa.
During the war in Gaza, his father told him to move to family in England. He lived there for a short time, but eventually returned to Israel.
Maccabi Haifa fans are now preparing for the team's return to Israel. They are preparing a warm welcome for them.