“There is only one true great Israeli footballer – that is Eli Ohana.”
So said Diego Maradona after his Argentina side beat Israel 7-2 in a friendly match in 1986 – and he meant it.
Despite only playing 76 times outside of his native Israel Ohana left his mark in Europe. While playing for Belgian side KV Mechelen, he was part of the side that won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1987-88, scoring four times (including two against St Mirren) as they went on to triumph against Ajax in the final. His performances alongside players such as Michel Preud'homme & Marc Emmers earned him the Bravo award in 1988 - an annual award which is handed out by the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo to the most outstanding young European footballer.
He went on to win the European Super Cup with Mechlen and the Belgian league title the following year. But after an unsuccessful stint in Portugal with SC Braga, Ohana returned home to see out his playing days in Israel.
Despite his undeniable talent he never really reached the levels of football fame many believe his talent merited. As a young player at his hometown club Beitar Jerusalem, his girlfriend Sarit Shwartz was killed in a car crash in 1982. Many say he never got over the incident and that he suffered from depression throughout his career.
Ohana won 50 caps and scored 17 goals for Israel and none of those goals were more famous than against Australia in a World Cup Qualifier in 1989. Ahead of the crucial match in Sydney, Australia coach Frank Arok allegedly made some anti-Semitic comments in an interview. His had followed on from a tempestuous first match in Tel Aviv a month earlier where the teams drew 1-1 in front of 50,000 fans in Tel Aviv - Ohana scored a controversial penalty.
Ohana was incensed when he heard Arok’s comments and was determined to put on a show down under. In the 40th minute of the match – in a moment worthy of Maradona himself – Ohana capitalised on a stray pass in the Australian defence where he collected the ball, rounded the goalkeeper then waited for the covering defender to close him down before skipping past him and scoring. Not content with that he ran straight up to Arok in the Australian dug out and kissed the star of David in front him.
Check out this video from 42 minutes in
It is hard to imagine a talent like Ohana’s going under the radar these days, but for those who remember him – none more so that Maradona – his talents will live long in the memory.
