Nwachukwu Fires Sabah FK into Historic Champions League League Phase
Christian Nwachukwu scored a crucial equaliser as Sabah FK produced a stunning comeback to defeat Hapoel Be’er Sheva 5-2 after extra time and qualify for the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time in the club’s history.
The Azerbaijani side overturned a 4-1 first-leg deficit to win the play-off tie 6-4 on aggregate in a dramatic encounter at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium on Tuesday night.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva took an early lead through Igor Zlatanović in the 10th minute, but Nwachukwu restored parity in the 38th minute with his first Champions League goal since joining Sabah.
Guy Mizrahi restored the visitors’ advantage in the 61st minute before Umarali Rakhmonaliev levelled the match again in the 74th minute.
Sabah completed the remarkable turnaround deep into stoppage time when Tellur Mutallimov scored in the 94th minute to make it 3-2 on the night and level the aggregate score at 4-4.
The hosts then took complete control in extra time after Hapoel Be’er Sheva were reduced to nine men following red cards to Demba Diop and Eden Peretz.
Patrick Orphe Mbina put Sabah ahead in the 101st minute before Joy-Lance Mickels, a Rwandan added a fifth goal in the 115th minute to seal a historic 6-4 aggregate victory.
Nwachukwu Writes His Name Into History
The 20-year-old Nigerian winger, who joined Sabah from Sheffield United earlier this month, played a decisive role in one of the biggest nights in the club’s history.
Founded in Baku in 2017, Sabah have reportedly become the youngest club ever to reach the main league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
For Nwachukwu, the achievement represents an immediate breakthrough after his move to Azerbaijan and places the Nigerian among the players who helped deliver a landmark European qualification for the rapidly developing club.
Sabah FK will now discover their opponents in the UEFA Champions League league phase, via www.uefa.com on Thursday where Nwachukwu could face some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
