Jibril Diop's Costly Yellow Card Leads to Red and Sabah's Dramatic Champions League Comeback

On August 25, 2026, Jibril Diop's critical mistake led to his sending off during a dramatic Champions League qualifier between Sabah and Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Sabah overturned a 1-2 deficit to win 5-2 on aggregate, securing a historic qualification to the Champions League. The turning point came late in the match when Diop, who had replaced Vitor, received a second yellow card in the 100th minute after a disputed foul, reducing Hapoel Be'er Sheva to ten men.

The second yellow followed an earlier caution in the 89th minute when Diop deliberately kicked the ball away to waste time while his team was still leading. Although this action did not significantly delay the game, it earned him a yellow card that ultimately contributed to his dismissal. One minute after Diop's red card, Sabah scored the decisive goal through Ambina, completing the comeback.

Diop contested the second yellow card, claiming the foul never occurred, but the referee's decision stood. This sequence of events dramatically shifted the match's momentum, allowing Sabah to celebrate a historic advancement to the Champions League at the expense of the reigning Israeli champions coached by Ran Kuzuch.