Sabah FK, the history and profile of the young Azerbaijani club who have qualified for the Champions League league phase for the first time
First ever after beating Be'er Sheva 5-2
Azerbaijan's Sabah FK Baku beat Israel's Be'er Sheva 5-2 after extra time in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs and, after losing the first leg 2-1, qualify for the League Phase of the main continental club competition. The match was played today at the Bank Respublika Arena in Masazır.
Be'er Sheva make the better start and lead after 10 minutes through Zlatanovic, but Nwachukwu levels it late in the first half. Mizrahi puts the Israeli side back in front in the 61st minute, before the hosts hit back again through Rakhmonaliyev in the 74th. Then comes the blow for the visitors: with time up, Mutallimov fires his side ahead and sends the two teams into extra time. From there, the Israeli side collapse and the Azerbaijanis take full advantage, pulling clear through Mbina and Mickels to seal a 5-2 win.
Sabah FK: the club profile
Founded in 2017 in Baku, Sabah are one of the rising forces in Azerbaijani football. After surging from the second division to the Premyer Liqası, the club began to carve out a leading role for themselves, going on to win their first national title in the 2025-26 season and two consecutive Azerbaijan Cups.
Recent years proved the turning point, as Sabah managed to end Qarabağ’s dominance and establish themselves in both the league and the cup. That success cemented the club’s growth and also brought them international attention.
The Baku club had already picked up experience in UEFA competitions, taking part in the Conference League twice. The leap came today, on what will go down as a historic date, 25 August 2026, when Sabah wrote the most important chapter in their young history: after overcoming The New Saints, KuPS and Aarhus in the preliminary rounds and Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the play-off, they secured access to the Champions League league phase for the first time.
Just nine years after being founded, the club are now ready to step onto the most prestigious stage in European football for the first time.
