Moti Kakoon

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Moti Kakoon (born November 16, 1972) is an Israeli football player, a striker who is currently playing at Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Petah Tikva.

[edit] Biography

Born to a typical middle-class family in the workers city of Petah Tikva,^{[citation needed]} Kakoon went to the Hapoel Petah Tikva kids academy, hoping to make a career out of football. The talented kid grew up supporting European clubs Barcelona and AC Milan, also trying to imitate Brazilian star Romario. The odds were against him, as he was very short and looked destined to fail in his resolve to turn into a sports professional.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Career

Kakoon always had the knack for scoring goals. While not always involved in the flow of the game, he usually managed to come out of nowhere and provide the deadly finish.^{[citation needed]} After outclassing his teammates in the youth academy,^{[citation needed]} Kakoon was promoted to the seniors in the summer of 1991. Hapoel Petah Tikva produced a memorable season, winning the State Cup and qualifying for the following season's UEFA Cup competition.

The swift striker soon became a fan-favorite after becoming one of the prominent goal scorers of his time. "The Eagle" was soon appointed team captain and finished the 96'-97' season as top league goalscorer, after finding the net 21 times. Petah Tikva was a big title contender in that season, finished second only to Beitar Jerusalem. His domestic successes convinced Spanish side Merida to sign him in 1999, but the prolific goal scorer returned home after failing to impress on foreign soil.

In April 2000, Moti Kakoon reached the 100-goal mark of his career, after scoring in a great 4-2 derby win over Maccabi Petah Tikva. The aging marksman also played for Hapoel Kfar Saba in 2004, helping it win the National League championship and earn promotion to the top flight. Kakoon is now back for his final season with Hapoel Petah Tikva.

[edit] External links

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