Sports Shorts

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Motti Ivanir and his assistants are lobbying the club's Canadian owner, Mitch Goldhar, to acquire Kiryat Shmona star Alroey Cohen. The coaching staff told Goldhar that Cohen is the missing piece of the puzzle that will enable the team to compete for the Premier League title this year. Ivanir has been quite displeased with two of the team's young forwards, Eliran Atar and Maor Buzaglo, particularly after Tuesday's elimination loss to Hapoel Petah Tikva in the State Cup. "Both only think of themselves," said a club official. "The only thing they care about is scoring." (Moshe Boker )

Eli Rabi, the coach of the women's national team, has agreed in principle to take over on the sidelines at struggling Super League club Ironi Ashkelon. Rabi will replace Ariel Bet-Halahmi, who was fired on Tuesday just one day after a home loss to Hapoel Holon dropped Ashkelon to a record of 4-12. Last season, Rabi coached at Hapoel Afula, which finished in 10th place but managed to remain in the Super League thanks to a dramatic victory over Ironi Ramat Gan in the lower-tier playoff. "We hope that with Rabi's help, we can embark on a new path," said Ashkelon chairman Avi Nimrodi. (Haaretz Sports Staff )

Lior Segev, the 26-year-old guard who last played with Hapoel Holon, signed a contract yesterday with Barak Netanya. Segev was forced to sever his ties with Holon due to the team's financial woes. The guard had weighed an offer from Maccabi Rishon Letzion, but elected to sign with Netanya. The team hopes Segev can fill the void left by Uri Yitzhaki. (Haaretz Sports Staff )