Sportsרפי כהן

Rafi Cohen

Rafi Cohen is an Israeli former footballer who played as a striker and won two league titles with Maccabi Haifa.

born 1974Two league titles with Maccabi HaifaGoal at Old TraffordState Cup with Bnei Sakhnin

Born: 21 August 1974, Tirat Carmel
Occupation: association football player

Rafi Cohen was born in 1974 in Tirat Carmel

Rafi Cohen was born on 21 August 1974 in Tirat Carmel. Reuven Atar, also from the town, spotted his talent and advised him to join the youth team of Maccabi Haifa.

His first senior club was Maccabi Or Akiva in Liga Bet. He then moved with his coach to Hapoel Karmiel, helped it reach Liga Alef and scored 23 goals there. In 1997 he signed with Ironi Rishon LeZion and helped the club stay in the Premier League.

He joined Maccabi Haifa for the 1999/2000 season and scored 18 goals in his first season. With the club he won 2 league titles, and in 2002/2003 he scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League group stage. He then moved to Bnei Sakhnin and won the State Cup with them.

Later he played for smaller clubs, including Hapoel Umm al-Fahm, where he led the Liga Alef scoring table. He retired in the summer of 2011 after a final season at Beitar Haifa. He then worked in the Haifa municipality sports authority and coached children in the Maccabi Haifa youth department.