Liberia international defender Gizzie Dorbor has ended the 2017-18 Israeli football season in style by winning his first silverware.
The former LISCR FC defender won his first title in Israel with his second-tier club, Hapoel Afula, which clinched the 2017-18 Israeli Toto Cup Leumit.
Afula won the cup competition with an easy 3-0 win over fellow second tier club, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim. Double goals from Israeli midfielder, Yuval Shawat, and a goal from Netanel Goldman were enough to deny Hapoel Ramat the title and hand Dorbor his first cup title since moving to Israel in 2009.
Shawat put Afula ahead in the 19th minute before doubling the score in the 39th minute from the penalty spot. Hapoel Ramat Gan’s efforts to level the score before the end of the first half didn’t materialize as Dorbor’s Afula went to the break two goals ahead and returned to make things worse for their opponents. Afula came from the break stronger to increase their lead. Their third and final goal of the match came in the 54th minute through Netanel Goldman.
Afula defended their three goals until the end of the 90 minutes to make Dorbor a cup champion for the first time in his nine years of professional football career in Israel. The 31-year-old defender was grateful for the title he described it as a dream come through. He told The Bush Chicken he’s been working for it throughout the years and is grateful to God for making it possible.
“I’m very excited to have won the Toto Leumit Cup. It is every footballer’s dream to become a champion and today I am one,†Dorbor told The Bush Chicken. “It hasn’t been easy for me, but I’m grateful to God for his blessings. Throughout my years as a professional footballer, I have been working harder for this but have been unfortunate over the years. Today, God made it possible.â€
Dorbor’s Afula may have won the domestic cup competition, but missed out on promotion to the Israeli top league after finishing 8th in the 2017-18 Liga Leumit regular season table. They managed 42 points from 30 games in the regular season and additional six points in the promotion round from seven games. Dorbor was able to make 33 league appearances in helping his club finish eighth.
Featured photo courtesy of Gizzie Dorbor
