The Israel National Team will face Georgia in friendly action in Tbilisi on Thursday (7pm Israel time) as Head Coach Ran Ben Shimon will get a chance to see his team on the pitch as he continues to prepare for Nations League play in the fall. Just ahead of the matchup the bench boss and team captain Eli Dasa spoke about the upcoming clash and its importance for the new future.

“This is a preparation match, not a friendly,” Ben Shimon began. “Georgia, just like Israel, needs to come into this match with the best lineup because they have their own goals ahead of the Nations League. It was clear they would bring their best players. The Georgian national team is an excellent team and it’s a very big challenge for us.”

Ben Shimon continued, “Both teams have goals; this is a new path for both of us and we want to prepare in the best way possible. There are hopes to build something fresh and new, to draw conclusions from the past and to build a team that will qualify for its next challenges. Coaches use these matches to try new methods and players in order to find the best way to win.”

Ben Shimon was asked about PSG winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and said, “It’s really not right to just look at Kvaratskhelia as Georgia have other outstanding players. They have strong midfielders and a solid defense, we prepared for the team, not just one player. Of course, Kvaratskhelia’s transitions are the most dangerous and we emphasized that.”

Eli Dasa also commented on some of Georgia’s players that Israel will need to pay special attention to, “Of course we know the Georgian team very well they are aggressive and technical, with world-class players, no need to mention names but Georges Mikautadze and Kvaratskhelia are top-level.”

Dasa also spoke about the challenges about playing during a war, “Of course, it’s not a simple situation everyone in the delegation has their own complexities regarding this issue. Some see it from afar, with their families in Israel and some experience it personally. We want to use this match to bring some enjoyment and do a bit of good for the people of Israel. I hope that during those 90 minutes there won’t be any sirens and that everyone can enjoy the game. We want to believe that better days will come for the country.”

Looking ahead to the match, Dasa said, “The word ‘friendly’ doesn’t exist in our vocabulary, we want to come in and continue the path and journey we have been on from the previous campaigns and to keep improving as we use this as preparation for September’s Nations League. But we want to talk about results, not just competitiveness.”