Manamto Asefa

{{short description|Israeli footballer}}

{{No significant coverage (sports)|find=football|date=December 2022}}

{{BLP sources|date=April 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Itzhak Asefa
יצחק אספה

| fullname = Itzhak Manamto Asefa

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|11|19|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ethiopia

| height = {{height|m=}}

| position = Right Back, Midfielder

| currentclub = Hapoel Ashdod

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2010–2016

| youthclubs1 = F.C. Ashdod

| years1 = 2015–2023

| clubs1 = F.C. Ashdod

| caps1 = 44

| goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2022

| clubs2 = → Bnei Yehuda

| caps2 = 2

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2023–2024

| clubs3 = Hapoel Ashdod

| caps3 = 17

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2024

| clubs4 = Hapoel Kfar Shalem

| caps4 = 4

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2024–

| clubs5 = Hapoel Ashdod

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2014–2015

| nationalteam1 = Israel U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2016–2017

| nationalteam2 = Israel U19

| nationalcaps2 = 6

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| nationalyears3 = 2017–2020

| nationalteam3 = Israel U21

| nationalcaps3 = 2

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| pcupdate = 1 June 2024

| ntupdate =

}}

Itzhak Manamto Asefa ({{langx|he|יצחק מאנאמטו אספה}}; born 19 November 1998) is an Israeli footballer who plays as midfielder for Hapoel Ashdod in Liga Alef.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/manamto-asefa/386595/|title=Israel - M. Asefa - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway|website=us.soccerway.com|accessdate=May 15, 2023}}

Asefa was born in Ethiopia to a Jewish family. At the age of 8, his family immigrated to Israel.

On 30 January 2020, the District court sentenced Asefa to 4.5 years in prison, after finding him guilty of leaving the scene of an accident without stopping to assist the injured victim. He was never convicted of vehicular homicide, as the police concluded that the victim, Ari Nesher, son of well known Israeli film producer Avi Nesher, was to blame for the accident. Ari was sitting illegally on the electric bike of his friend, in violation of the law that prohibits more than one person on a bike. In addition, neither lad was wearing a helmet, also required by law. Initially it was suspected he had been drunk, but this was never proven. The Supreme Court reduced his sentence to 3 years. On the 16th of January 2022 he was released, after getting reduced time for good behavior.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=16 January 2022 |title=Soccer player released after 2 years in prison for deadly hit-and-run |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/soccer-player-released-after-2-years-in-prison-for-deadly-hit-and-run/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=Times of Israel |language=en-US}}