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Determined Haifa dismiss Parisian aristocrats
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 Maccabi Haifa 3-2 Paris Saint-Germain FC
 Kiriat Eliezer Stadium, Haifa
 (Maccabi Haifa win 4-3 on aggregate)

Paris
Saint-Germain
FC suffered their worst European evening to date in the
club's relatively short, yet successful history - an
elimination from the first round of a European
competition - as they lost 4-3 on aggregate in Israel to
Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, after the two
clubs had played out a 1-1 draw two weeks ago in the Parc
des Princes.
The Parisians, who won this competition in 1996 and who
were beaten finalists 12 months later, did not heed the
warning already given them by the courageous Israelis who
by winning provided the biggest shock on an evening of
surprises.

Early chances spurned
The French club had early opportunities edge ahead of the
Israelis, but Igor Yanovski was denied after four
minutes, and Marco Simone came close eight minutes later.
But as the French side continued to press unsuccessfully
for the goal they needed to avoid dropping out of the
competition, the more the home side, inspired by Bosnian
midfielder Ibrahim Duro, began to grow in confidence.
Buoyed by the French side's profligacy in front of goal,
Haifa opened the scoring in the 58th minute. A lobbed
header from Radovan Hromadko under pressure from Bernard
Lama hit the crossbar, but Adoram Keysi was the quickest
to react to the rebound, and he drilled the ball into the
empty net.
But the French side recovered quickly and Okocha had two
attempts on goal before a low shot from Nicolas Ouedec
eluded Haifa goalkeeper Nir Davidovtich in the 72nd
minute from an Okocha pass.

Late drama
If the French thought they had done enough to take the
game into extra-time, the Israelis, spurred on by their
vociferous support, had other ideas. Their second goal
came when Haifa's young prodigy Yossi Benayoun set-up
Alon Mizrahi to chip over Lama in the 83rd minute, but
PSG responded with what seemed to be the 'winning' goal -
given the away goal rule - three minutes from the end
through Okocha who latched onto a cross from Marco
Simeone to fire home.
Again Haifa, now pressed for time, responded with a goal
in stoppage time when a Mizrahi shot was glanced by Alain
Goma past Lama for the deciding strike.
The victory is the biggest the Israeli side have ever
recorded in European competition, and shows their
capacity to cause a surprise, as Parma AC will remember
from 1993 when they scrambled through on penalties
against Haifa in the Second Round of the UEFA Cup
Winners' Cup en route to their defeat in the final of
that competition by Arsenal FC.
"I don't care who we face in the next round of the
competition, all that matters is that we acheieved a
great win," coach Dusan Uhrin - who was also the coach of
the Czech Republic team that was defeated in the final of
the 1996 European Championship - said. "Whoever comes up
in the draw, we'll be ready for them."
"This is a victory for heart over skill," Haifa's
international defender, Alon Harazi, added on a night
being hailed as the biggest yet for Israeli football in
European competition.