Hapoel Be'er Sheva Star and Opponent Confused by Disallowed Goal in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva began their European season with a 2-1 away loss to Icelandic champions Vikingur in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on July 25, 2026. The match's outcome was heavily influenced by a highly controversial disallowed goal by Be'er Sheva's Niv Yehoshua, which many, including Vikingur's star Gilfi Sigurdsson, found difficult to understand. Sigurdsson, a 36-year-old veteran who played over a decade in England, admitted he was unsure why the referee blew the whistle, suggesting the disallowed goal could have changed the game's momentum as Vikingur players were tiring and Be'er Sheva was gaining control.

Looking ahead to the second leg in Hungary, which serves as Be'er Sheva's European home ground, Sigurdsson emphasized that the tie remains open and that both teams have a chance to win depending on their performance. Be'er Sheva must win the return leg to advance to the next Champions League qualifying stage, where they are likely to face Red Star Belgrade, who defeated Larne 4-0 in their first leg. If Be'er Sheva fails to overturn the deficit, they will face the loser of the Dinamo Zagreb-Thun tie, which ended 1-1 in the first leg.

The disallowed goal and the narrow defeat have left the Israeli champions with a challenging task ahead but still with a clear path to progress in the competition.