Rwanda international Joy-Lance Mickels has made history by becoming the first player to have represented the Amavubi to reach the UEFA Champions League after helping Azerbaijan’s Sabah FK secure a place in the competition.
Sabah completed a dramatic comeback against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC on Tuesday night, winning 5-2 after extra time to advance 6-4 on aggregate in the final qualifying round.
The Azerbaijani side entered the second leg facing a 2-1 deficit from the first meeting and found itself two goals down during the return match. Sabah fought back to win 3-2 in regulation time, taking the aggregate score to 3-3 and forcing the tie into extra time.
Mickels then delivered the decisive moment, scoring in the 115th minute as Sabah added another goal to complete a 5-2 victory and secure a 6-4 aggregate win.
The qualification marks a historic first for Sabah, which was founded in 2017 and will compete in the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
It is an even bigger milestone for Mickels, who joined the Rwanda national team setup and has now become the first Amavubi player to reach the group-stage equivalent of Europe’s elite club competition.
The Champions League draw is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, while the league phase is due to begin on September 8.
Mickels’ achievement represents a significant milestone for Rwandan football, putting an Amavubi international on the stage of one of the world’s most prestigious club competitions.
