Sabah FK: The UEFA Champions League Debutants From Azerbaijan

Sabah FK have reached the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Discover the story of Azerbaijan’s newest European representatives and their remarkable rise.

So who are Sabah FK? When the UEFA Champions League league phase begins, the biggest names in European football will once again take centre stage. Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and other European giants will be chasing the trophy, but one club will be arriving at this level for the very first time. That club is Sabah FK from Azerbaijan.

The story is remarkable because Sabah were only founded in 2017. Just nine years later, the club has gone from playing in Azerbaijan’s lower divisions to preparing for matches against some of the biggest teams in European football. Their reward for that extraordinary rise is a place in the 2026-27 Champions League league phase, where their first match will take them to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

For Sabah, however, simply reaching this stage is already a historic achievement. The club’s journey to the Champions League did not happen overnight. It has been built through steady progress, domestic success, and a European campaign that required them to survive four qualifying ties before finally earning their place among Europe’s elite.

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How Did Sabah FK Reach the Champions League?

Sabah FK entered the Champions League qualifying rounds at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign and immediately found themselves with very little room for mistakes. Their first challenge was Welsh side The New Saints, whom they defeated 4-1 on aggregate. The next test came against Finland’s KuPS, and Sabah passed that one too, winning 3-0 on aggregate. They then overcame Denmark’s Aarhus 5-2 before facing Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the play-off round, the final hurdle standing between them and the Champions League league phase.

That final tie appeared to be slipping away when Hapoel won the first leg 2-1. Sabah therefore entered the second leg knowing that one more difficult night could end their entire European adventure. Instead, the match turned into one of the most memorable nights in the club’s young history.

Sabah eventually won 5-2 after extra time, overturning the first-leg deficit and securing a 6-4 aggregate victory. The comeback included a late equaliser from Tellur Mutallimov before Orphe Mbina and Joy-Lance Mickels scored in extra time to complete an extraordinary turnaround. And just like that, a club formed less than a decade ago had reached the biggest club competition in European football.

How Big Is This Achievement for Azerbaijan?

Sabah’s qualification is significant not just for the club but for Azerbaijani football as a whole. Before this season, Qarabağ were the only Azerbaijani club to have reached the Champions League proper, doing so in 2017-18 and again in 2025-26.

Sabah have now joined them, becoming only the second Azerbaijani club to reach the competition’s league phase. Even more remarkably, they are one of just four clubs making their Champions League debut in the 2026-27 league phase, alongside Como, LASK, and Viking.

The timing is also perfect because Sabah are coming off the most successful domestic season in their short history. In 2025-26, the club won its first Azerbaijani league title and also retained the Azerbaijani Cup, completing a historic domestic double. They secured the league title with four matches still remaining before beating Zirə 2-1 in the cup final. So this Champions League appearance is not a random one-off. It is the latest step in a rapid rise that has transformed Sabah from a relatively young club into Azerbaijan’s newest representative on European football’s biggest stage.

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Who Should You Watch at Sabah FK?

One of the players attracting attention is Joy-Lance Mickels, who has become an important part of Sabah’s rise. The Rwandan international finished the 2025-26 Azerbaijani league season as the competition’s top scorer after scoring 19 goals in 25 appearances. His importance to the club is reflected in the new contract he signed in May 2026, which keeps him at Sabah for another two years. He is already the club’s all-time leading scorer, with 72 goals in 139 appearances.

There are also new faces hoping to make an impact on the biggest stage. Polish international Tymoteusz Puchacz joined permanently after initially arriving on loan, bringing Champions League and international experience to a squad that is otherwise stepping into unfamiliar territory. At the centre of it all is head coach Valdas Dambrauskas, who has overseen the club’s remarkable transformation and guided them through all four Champions League qualifying rounds.

What Can Sabah FK Expect in the Champions League?

The reality is that the challenge is about to become much bigger. Sabah have already proved they can survive difficult qualifying ties, but the league phase puts them directly against Europe’s established clubs. Their first match is perhaps the clearest example of that jump: they travel to Old Trafford on September 10 to face Manchester United, a club with a long history in the Champions League.

Their schedule does not get much easier. Sabah will also face Slavia Prague, Borussia Dortmund, Viking, Barcelona, Villarreal, Napoli, and Arsenal during the league phase. Those matches will provide Sabah with something no domestic trophy can offer: a chance to measure themselves against Europe’s best.

They may not be expected to go deep into the competition, but that is not really what makes their story special. The achievement is in getting here at all. Sabah was founded in 2017. They made their Azerbaijani Premier League debut in 2018-19. They reached European competition for the first time in 2022-23, won their first major trophy in 2025, and became Azerbaijani champions in 2026. Now, only nine years after their creation, they are walking into Old Trafford for their first Champions League match. For a club this young, the result may matter. But the journey matters even more. Have you heard of Sabah FK before their Champions League debut, and how far do you think they can go in their first European campaign? Let us know in the comments.

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