Sabah Eliminates Hapoel Be'er Sheva With Late Goal to Reach Champions League

Hapoel Be'er Sheva came within 18 seconds of a historic qualification to the UEFA Champions League but conceded a late goal against Sabah on Tuesday, losing 5-2 and suffering a painful elimination. Azerbaijani sports outlets celebrated Sabah's victory, highlighting the team's mental resilience and tactical discipline. Sabah scored a crucial goal in the 94th minute, which changed the outcome and dashed Be'er Sheva's hopes for a comeback. The two decisive goals were scored by substitutes in the second half, reflecting Sabah's effective game management despite fatigue.

Local QOL commentators called the win historic, noting Sabah's dominance throughout the match despite being unseeded in all their qualifying rounds. Founded only eight years ago, Sabah's rapid progress to the Champions League was praised as remarkable, with special credit given to coach Valdas Dambrauskas for his leadership. The match marked a significant milestone for Sabah as they advance in European competition, while Be'er Sheva's dreams of Champions League participation were abruptly ended.