Israel defeats Belarus 2-1 at 2024 Euro qualifiers
Israeli side trails for most of match but scores two late goals to secure win, putting it 3rd in qualifying group
The Israeli national soccer team on Friday defeated Belarus as part of qualifiers for the 2024 European Championship.
The Belarusian squad went up 1-0 with a goal in the 16th minute and led for most of the match, until Israel’s Shon Weissman evened it at 1-1 when he scored a penalty kick in the 85th minute.
Oscar Gloukh then netted a stoppage-time winner, giving the Israeli side a 2-1 victory.
The win was Israel’s first of the tournament, after losing 0-3 to Switzerland and tying 1-1 with Kosovo. The blue and white squad is now in third place in Group I, trailing Switzerland and Romania, while Belarus is in last place.
Israel will next play Monday against Andorra, which has the second-worst record in the group.
The two teams that finish top of each group will secure a spot at next year’s tournament in Germany.
The matches follow the sensational run at the Under-20 World Cup by Israel’s national team, which finished third overall in its first-ever appearance at the tournament.
Agencies contributed to this report.