Shahar Nakav

Shahar Nakav (or Sahar, ; born 12 April 1997) is an Israeli footballer who plays as a defender for Ligat Nashim club Kiryat Gat and the Israel women's national team.

Born in Beersheba, Nakav began her youth career with Maccabi Be'er Sheva before joining the Israel Football Association's Girls Football Academy at the Wingate Institute in 2012. She made her senior debut with the Academy before securing a transfer to Kiryat Gat in 2017. Across two spells with Kiryat Gat, where she also served as a co-captain, and a one-year stint with Ramat HaSharon, Nakav won five Ligat Nashim titles and three Israeli Women's Cups. In 2024, she joined German Frauen-Bundesliga side Turbine Potsdam, before returning to Kiryat Gat in 2025.

At international level, Nakav represented Israel at youth level, notably starting at the 2015 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in memory of her late sister, and has since earned senior caps for the Israel national team.

Club career

Early career Nakav grew up in Beersheba, where she was scouted by the manager of Maccabi Be'er Sheva during a local youth tournament. She joined the club's youth team in 2009. In 2012, she was selected by the Israel Football Association to join the newly established Girls Football Academy at the Wingate Institute, a full-time residential boarding school formed to develop the national youth squad ahead of the 2015 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship. Nakav made her senior debut for the Academy's team in 2014, making 53 appearances and scoring 5 goals over three seasons.

During her time at the Academy, Nakav's older sister, Chen, battled cancer and passed away in early 2015. Despite contemplating quitting football to be with her family, Nakav was encouraged by her sister to continue pursuing a professional career. In her debut season with the club, she starred in the defence and won her first domestic league title. Following the season, she was selected in the "Team of the Season", being described as an impassable wall. She remained with Kiryat Gat for another year, narrowly missing out on a consecutive title to ASA Tel Aviv by just a single point.

Ramat HaSharon For the 2019–20 season, Nakav signed with Ramat HaSharon. Her stint with the team was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, which forced the league's premature suspension in March 2020. On 13 April 2020, Ramat HaSharon was officially declared champion as they held a five-point lead at the top of the standings at the time of the shutdown.

Return to Kiryat Gat Following the pandemic-shortened season, Nakav returned to Kiryat Gat. She had a highly successful period at the club, where she served as one of the club's co-captains and over four seasons anchored the defense and led Kiryat Gat to four consecutive league championships and three Israeli Women's Cups. Kiryat Gat went on to defeat Flora 5–0, with Nakav scoring the final goal in the 84th minute, and they advanced to the final of the mini-tournament against Juventus. Describing the matchup against the Italian champions as a "David vs. Goliath" challenge, Nakav noted it as a pinnacle benchmark for her career alongside her experiences with the national team.

Turbine Potsdam In July 2024, Nakav secured her first international move, joining fellow Israelis Irena Kuznetsov, Maria Almasri, and Noa Selimhodzic at newly promoted Frauen-Bundesliga club Turbine Potsdam. In May 2025, following the club's relegation to the 2. Frauen-Bundesliga, Nakav was released, along with her three fellow Israelis, as part of a squad clear out.

Return to Israel In September 2025, Nakav returned to Israel and re-joined Kiryat Gat, alongside Noa Selimhodzic.

International career Nakav was capped for the Israel national team, appearing for the team during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying cycle.