page_title: Omer Golan
section_title: International career
hierarchical_section_title: Omer Golan / International career
context_page_description: Omer Golan is a former Israeli footballer. He played as a striker for his home club Maccabi Petah Tikva and for Lokeren.
context_section_description: Golan made his international debut for the Israel national football team when he came on as a 74th-minute substitute for Eyal Berkovich in a friendly against the Moldova national football team on 28 April 2004. His first international goal came on 9 February 2004 against the Croatia national football team, when he scored the final goal to tie the game at 3–3.
  
  On 17 November 2007, Omer Golan scored the winning goal for Israel against Russia, handing England a lifeline in their qualification group for Euro 2008, meaning England could still qualify; if Russia had won, qualification for England would be near impossible. Golan was, for a short period, proclaimed a hero by English football fans; but England lost the match to Croatia meaning they did not qualify for Euro 2008. 
  According to Golan, before he scored against Russia, many thought that he was on the national team because of his strong friendship with Avi Luzon, then IFA chief and former owner of Maccabi Petah Tikva.
caption: A 2007–2009 England home shirt, with printing of Golan's name and number, demonstrating his temporary hero status for England fans.
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