Hapoel Be'er Sheva Scores Disallowed Goal Before Securing Lead in Champions League Playoff

On August 25, 2026, Hapoel Be'er Sheva nearly took an early lead in their Champions League playoff second-leg match against Sabah, but their opening goal was disallowed due to a marginal offside call. Igor Zlatanovic initially celebrated a goal in the third minute after a swift counterattack, where he controlled a long ball and passed to Zahi Ahmed, who returned it for Zlatanovic to score. However, the goal was ruled out because Ahmed was offside by mere centimeters during the first pass from Zlatanovic.

Despite the setback, Zlatanovic redeemed himself seven minutes later by scoring a legitimate goal, giving Hapoel Be'er Sheva a 1-0 lead in the match and a 3-1 advantage on aggregate. The disallowed goal was a cruel blow for the team, but the subsequent valid goal helped solidify their position in the playoff. The match took place on Tuesday evening, and the team showed resilience in overcoming the initial disappointment to maintain their strong aggregate lead.