Sabah FA vs KuPS

Sabah FA started the brighter of the two sides, controlling possession in the opening quarter-hour without creating a clear-cut chance. KuPS sat deep in a compact 4-2-2-2 shape under manager Miika Nuutinen, looking to hit on the counter through the pace of G. Engvall and P. Parzyszek.

The defining moment of the first half arrived in the 33rd minute. Sabah's U. Rahmonaliyev bundled the ball into the net, but referee Lukasz Kuzma was instructed to review the incident by VAR. After a brief pause, the goal was disallowed for a foul in the build-up — a decision that drew frustration from the home bench.

Sabah kept pressing and were rewarded in the first minute of stoppage time. I. Lepinjica, the Croatian midfielder, delivered a pass into the path of V. Simić, who finished calmly to give the hosts a 1-0 lead at the break. The goal was a straightforward finish — a normal goal from the centre of the box — but its timing was devastating for KuPS, who had held firm for 45 minutes.

KuPS made a change at half-time, introducing S. Touray for Engvall, but the momentum stayed with Sabah. K. Parris was booked for roughing in the 49th minute, and T. Jyry had already gone into the book for holding two minutes earlier.

Sabah manager Valdas Dambrauskas made a double substitution on 66 minutes, withdrawing Parris and A. Isaev for X. Severina and P. Mbina. KuPS responded by throwing on P. Parzyszek, B. Armah and later T. Hämäläinen, but the Finnish side struggled to create clear openings.

J. Moreno, who had replaced Parzyszek, was booked for elbowing in the 77th minute. KuPS used all five substitutions in a bid to find an equaliser but could not break through a disciplined Sabah defence marshalled by captain S. Pokatilov.

Rahmonaliyev's disallowed goal in the 33rd minute was the match's pivotal moment. Had the goal stood, Sabah would have had a lead to protect and KuPS would have been forced to chase the game for an hour. The VAR decision kept the score at 0-0 and set the stage for Simić's late first-half strike — a goal that arrived 12 minutes after the disallowed effort and with the visitors' concentration wavering.

V. Simić (Sabah FA) — Scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time, a composed finish from Lepinjica's pass. The Serbian midfielder was a persistent threat in the attacking third and linked play effectively between the lines. Player of the match.

I. Lepinjica (Sabah FA) — The Croatian defensive midfielder provided the assist for the winner and was the engine of Sabah's midfield, breaking up play and distributing efficiently. His reading of the game was a key factor in Sabah's control of the contest.

S. Pokatilov (Sabah FA) — The Sabah captain and goalkeeper marshalled his defence effectively and was never seriously tested, but his organisation ensured KuPS's five second-half substitutes could not find a way through.

J. Kreidl (KuPS) — The KuPS goalkeeper could do little about Simić's goal but made several routine saves to keep the scoreline at 1-0, giving his side a fighting chance in the second leg.

The 1-0 scoreline reflected a contest dominated by defensive organisation rather than attacking flair. Sabah's solitary goal from open play in first-half stoppage time was one of few clear-cut chances across the 90 minutes. The VAR decision that disallowed Rahmonaliyev's 33rd-minute effort was the match's biggest statistical talking point — without it, the game could have followed a very different pattern. KuPS's five substitutions to Sabah's two reflected the visitors' desperation to find an equaliser, but they failed to register a meaningful shot on target in the second half. Three yellow cards (Jyry 47', Parris 49', Moreno 77') pointed to a contest that was competitive without boiling over.

Sabah FA take a 1-0 lead into the second leg at KuPS's home ground in Kuopio on 28 July 2026. The Azerbaijani champions, who beat The New Saints 2-0 in the first qualifying round, need at least a draw to advance to the third qualifying round, where they would face the winner of the other tie in their path.

KuPS, who eliminated Vardar Skopje 2-0 in the previous round, must win by at least one goal to force extra time, or by two goals to progress outright. The Finnish side have now lost three of their last four Champions League qualifying matches dating back to the 2024-25 season and will need to improve their attacking output in the return leg.

A narrow but deserved win for Sabah FA, who created the better chances and capitalised on the one clear opening that fell their way. KuPS will feel they can overturn the deficit on home soil, but they must show more attacking intent than they managed in Baku. The tie is finely balanced, and the second leg in Kuopio promises to be a tense affair.

Next fixture: KuPS vs Sabah FA — Second Leg, Tuesday 28 July 2026, Kuopio, Finland