Sabah FK, founded in 2017, crashes UEFA Champions League and could face PSG

Sabah FK, a club from Baku’s suburbs founded in 2017, will compete in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history after eliminating Hapoel Be’er Sheva on Tuesday evening following a thrilling extra-time clash. PSG, RC Lens, LOSC and potentially OL will learn their league phase opponents in Thursday’s draw in Monaco (6 p.m.).

After losing 2-1 away in Bucharest, Sabah reversed the situation at their national stadium. The Israelis led twice, before Tellur Mutallimov forced extra time in the 90th+4 minute. In extra time, Gabonese forward Orphé Mbina — who played for Béziers, Beauvais and Nîmes during his career — and Rwandan Joy-Lance Mickels scored the decisive goals to qualify the Azerbaijani club.

Crowned Azerbaijan champions for the first time this year, Sabah had already eliminated The New Saints, Finnish KuPS and Danish Aarhus to reach the league phase. PSG, meanwhile, has never faced an Azerbaijani team in a European competition.

Several players trained at or who have played for French clubs feature in Sabah’s squad: Steve Solvet (trained at Strasbourg), Akim Zedadka (RC Lens, AJ Auxerre), Younes Lachaab (on loan from Lille) and Zinédine Ould Khaled (Angers until 2025).

The Baku club will be placed in pot 4 of the draw, making them a potential opponent for Luis Enrique’s PSG. However, statistically the Parisians are more likely to face Como or Stuttgart, also in that pot. Last season, Real Madrid travelled to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty; this edition could send one of Europe’s top clubs to Azerbaijan.