World's longest penalty shootout record broken - 56 kicks

M.S. Dimona reached the final of the play-off for promotion to the Second Division in Israel by beating Shimshon Tel Aviv in a match for the history books. Not so much because of the clubs or the way the game unfolded, but because of the 56 penalty kicks that were taken in the final shoot-out. Never before had a penalty shoot-out taken so long, the previous record being 54 in the Washington-Bedlington (25-24) Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup.

That match took place in March 2022 and it has taken just a couple more years for other clubs to increase the record to an almost unrepeatable number. 23-22 was the result in favour of M.S. Dimona after only 5 of their penalty takers missed. The visitors missed 6, including the goalkeeper, who was the one who missed the final kick.

Thus, the figure is a new world record and leaves M.S. Dimona one step away from promotion to the second division. They will now have to play in the final against FC Tira, who won the other semi-final 4-2 against Maccabi Kiryat Ata Bialik.

As for the match between M.S. Dimona and Sihimshon Tel Aviv, the long penalty shoot-out was not the only thing worth mentioning. The eventual winners were all but eliminated with a goal from Mawasi until Bozgalo Haim, in the 99th minute, forced extra time. In extra time it was almost the other way around as Amar Eldadah made it 2-1 and Izhak Halevi, in the 118th minute, sent the semi-final to penalties for a 2-2 draw.

 

May 21, 2024