Yehiel Tzagai
Encyclopedia
Yehiel Tzagai is an Israel
i footballer of Ethiopia
n descent
.
community in Ethiopia
and his family immigrated to Israel
in 1991 during the Operation Solomon
.
Tzagai grew up through the ranks at Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva
but as the club has collapsed in 2002, he signed at another club in Beersheba
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva where he was loaned until 2004 to F.C. Ashdod
and Hakoah Ramat Gan.
In 2004 Tzagai returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva and played there for three seasons in the second league, where we was considered one of the most talented players in the whole league. During the 2006-07 season, Tzagai and two other Be'er Sheva players admitted to receiving bribes to throw a match against Hapoel Ra'anana. However, all three players had refused to throw the match, and later received threats from the people who had attempted to bribe them.
In July 2007 Tzagai signed for Maccabi Netanya
and had a very successful debut season with 4 goals and 6 assists, but after some problems with Lothar Matthäus
he decided to leave the club and in the end of September 2008 he signed with Bnei Sakhnin.
In September 2009 after one poor season with Sakhnin, Tzagai signed for Hapoel Ashkelon
. He scored 13 goals and made 7 assists and was voted as the MVP of the 2009-10 season in Liga Leumit
after he was the main reason Ashkelon got promoted to the Israeli Premier League.
In 23 May 2010 it was reported that Tzagai signed a 2 year contract with APOP Kinyras Peyias
He returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 10 January 2011.
In May 2011 he signed a 2 years contract with Sektzia Nes Tziona in the Liga Leumit.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i footballer of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n descent
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
.
Biography
Tzagai was born in the Beta IsraelBeta Israel
Beta Israel Israel, Ge'ez: ቤተ እስራኤል - Bēta 'Isrā'ēl, modern Bēte 'Isrā'ēl, EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "Community of Israel" also known as Ethiopian Jews , are the names of Jewish communities which lived in the area of Aksumite and Ethiopian Empires , nowadays divided between Amhara and Tigray...
community in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and his family immigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1991 during the Operation Solomon
Operation Solomon
Operation Solomon was a 1991 covert Israeli military operation to take Ethiopian Jews to Israel.In 1991, the sitting Ethiopian government of Mengistu Haile Mariam was close to being toppled with the recent military successes of Eritrean and Tigrean rebels, threatening Ethiopia with dangerous...
.
Tzagai grew up through the ranks at Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva
Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva F.C.
Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva was an Israeli football club based in Beersheba.-History:The club was promoted to Liga Artzit in 1998. In their first season at the second level they finished fourth...
but as the club has collapsed in 2002, he signed at another club in Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva where he was loaned until 2004 to F.C. Ashdod
F.C. Ashdod
F.C. Ashdod is an Israeli football club, playing in the port city of Ashdod. The unorthodox name of the team is the result of the union of two city rivals, Hapoel Ashdod and Maccabi Ironi Ashdod...
and Hakoah Ramat Gan.
In 2004 Tzagai returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva and played there for three seasons in the second league, where we was considered one of the most talented players in the whole league. During the 2006-07 season, Tzagai and two other Be'er Sheva players admitted to receiving bribes to throw a match against Hapoel Ra'anana. However, all three players had refused to throw the match, and later received threats from the people who had attempted to bribe them.
In July 2007 Tzagai signed for Maccabi Netanya
Maccabi Netanya
Maccabi Netanya F.C. is an Israeli football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club were founding members of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1970, the club's golden period lasted until the late 1980s, including four more league titles and a double...
and had a very successful debut season with 4 goals and 6 assists, but after some problems with Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
he decided to leave the club and in the end of September 2008 he signed with Bnei Sakhnin.
In September 2009 after one poor season with Sakhnin, Tzagai signed for Hapoel Ashkelon
Hapoel Ashkelon
Hapoel Ashkelon F.C. is an Israeli football club based in Ashkelon. The club is currently in Liga Leumit and plays at the 10,000-capacity Sala Stadium.-History:...
. He scored 13 goals and made 7 assists and was voted as the MVP of the 2009-10 season in Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit
Liga Leumit is the second tier in the Israeli football league system below the Premier League.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the league. At the end of each season, the lowest-placed team are relegated to Liga Alef while the highest-placed team from Liga Alef are promoted in their place...
after he was the main reason Ashkelon got promoted to the Israeli Premier League.
In 23 May 2010 it was reported that Tzagai signed a 2 year contract with APOP Kinyras Peyias
He returned to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in 10 January 2011.
In May 2011 he signed a 2 years contract with Sektzia Nes Tziona in the Liga Leumit.