Goalkeeper's bloopers overshadowed by historic Champions League comeback

Sabah experienced one of the most dramatic Champions League qualifying series Tuesday, with goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov at the center of two unusual bloopers before the Azerbaijani club staged a historic comeback. Sabah defeated Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-2 after extra time, securing their first-ever qualification for the Champions League league stage and becoming the youngest club to achieve this feat.

Pokatilov, a 33-year-old Kazakh, was directly responsible for both of Hapoel Beer Sheva's goals. In the first half, an attempted short pass to a teammate near an opponent led to an immediate turnover and a goal by Igor Zlatanovic. Later, Pokatilov's attempt to quickly launch a counter-attack with his hands was intercepted, allowing Guy Mizrahi to score from distance over the out-of-position goalkeeper.

These errors seemed to seal Sabah's elimination, as Hapoel Beer Sheva held a 2-1 lead in the second leg after winning the first leg 2-1. However, the match took an extraordinary turn. Sabah rallied to lead 3-2, forcing the tie into extra time with a 4-4 aggregate score.

In extra time, Sabah capitalized on a red card for Beer Sheva, scoring two more goals to win the match 5-2 and the series 6-4. Founded in 2017, Sabah's nine-year existence makes it the youngest club ever to reach the Champions League league stage, surpassing Krasnodar's record from 2020. They become the second Azerbaijani club to reach this stage, after Qarabag.