The European night of August 25, 2026, will forever be etched in the club’s history. Sabah pulled off an incredible comeback against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, winning 5–2 in extra time and, combined with their 2–1 loss in the first leg, secured an epic qualification to the Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history
A team founded as recently as 2017, has managed, in less than a decade, not only to become a major force in Azerbaijani soccer but also to reach for the stars, under the guidance of former OFI coach, Valdas Dabrauskas!
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Hapoel Be’er Sheva got off to a better start, and just 10 minutes in Zlatanović made it 0-1, giving the Israelis a strong lead in the tie, as the aggregate score went to 3-1. Sabah, however, didn’t crumble, and in the 38th minute, Nuachuku equalized to make it 1-1, bringing the Azerbaijanis back into the game.
In the second half, Hapoel struck again. In the 61st minute, Mizrahi made it 1-2, and Sabah now needed two goals to send the match into extra time. The home team continued to press, and in the 74th minute, Rahmonaliev tied the score at 2-2. Sabah went all out, and in the final minutes of regulation, they scored the 3-2 goal with Mutalimov off an assist from Puhaz, tying the aggregate score and sending the match into extra time.
That’s when the decisive moment came. In the 100th minute, Hapoel’s Djibril Diop was sent off with a second yellow card, giving Sabah a numerical advantage. With an extra player, the Azerbaijanis took complete control and scored the 4-2 goal in extra time through Ebina and the 5-2 goal through Mikels, completing a legendary comeback and advancing with a 6-4 aggregate score.
