Hapoel Kfar Shalem beat Kafr Qasim 2-0 in the opening round of the Liga Leumit regular season on Tuesday evening. The match took place on 18 August 2026, and the hosts took all three points from what was a straightforward evening's work. By then, the visitors had already looked out of sorts.
A. Salifu opened the scoring in the 60th minute, and the game was effectively over shortly after. Another goal came in the 71st minute before A. Nimni added a third in the 72nd. And here's the thing — the hosts camped in the final third and never let up.
The statistics tell the story without much embellishment. Kfar Shalem held 64% possession and registered 106 attacks compared to 70 for the visitors. They produced 21 shots, nine on target, while Kafr Qasim managed just seven attempts with two finding the way on goal. To be fair, the away side won six corners but could not convert any pressure into meaningful chances.
We had backed a home win before kick-off at 49% confidence, and the result confirmed that assessment. The hosts were comfortable throughout, never getting out of second gear once Salifu's opener gave them the lead. Kafr Qasim simply could not find their rhythm against a side that played with purpose.
On the table, Kfar Shalem sit fifth after three matches with six points from two wins and a defeat. Kafr Qasim occupy tenth place with three points, having lost two of their three games. The gap between them is clear, and this result widened it further.
The hosts' recent form has been mixed — a heavy 6-2 loss to Hapoel Rishon Lezion followed by a 2-1 win over Hapoel Ramat-Gan — but they found their level here. Kafr Qasim's string of draws and defeats suggests they need time to settle. And here's the thing — some matches are decided in moments, and this one was.