PETAH TIKVA, Israel (Interstat) — Samuel Owusu and Marko Rakonjac scored first-half goals Friday as Maccabi Petah Tikva defeated Kiryat Shmona 2-1 in Ligat ha’Al play at Shlomo Insurance Stadium. Owusu put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute, and Rakonjac doubled the lead in the 23rd. Adrián Ugarriza pulled one back for Kiryat Shmona in the 79th minute, but the visitors were unable to complete the comeback.

Nemanja Ljubisavljević received a yellow card in the 49th minute, and Pavlos Korrea was booked in the 71st. Maccabi Petah Tikva improved to 1-0-0 in league play and across all competitions, while Kiryat Shmona dropped to 0-1-0 in both. The defeat extended Kiryat Shmona’s winless start to the season.

Maccabi Petah Tikva next plays Aug. 28 at Bnei Sakhnin, while Kiryat Shmona hosts Tiberias the same day. Both teams continue their Ligat ha’Al schedules through November, with Maccabi Petah Tikva also facing Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv in upcoming rounds.