Azerbaijan's Sabah have etched their name into club history by clinching an unlikely spot in the UEFA Champions League main draw, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks seen in recent qualifying rounds.
Traveling to Israel, the visitors found themselves trailing 4-2 on aggregate after the first leg—a near-insurmountable deficit against Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Yet Sabah produced a remarkable second-half resurgence, overwhelming their Israeli opponents with a 6-4 aggregate victory that sent the visiting faithful into raptures.
The triumph marks the first time a club from Azerbaijan has qualified for the Champions League group stage, a milestone that underscores the rapid rise of the nation's footballing infrastructure.
With the aggregate tally settled at 6-4 in Sabah's favor, the club now awaits the upcoming draw to determine their path through Europe's elite competition. The result also reignites discussion around the format and scheduling of the Champions League qualifiers, as more nations witness their domestic sides break through on the continental stage.