McCarthy Delighted After Scoring First Sabah FK Goal Against Dortmund
South African defender Aden McCarthy admitted he never expected to score after netting his first goal for Sabah FK against German giants Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League league phase clash at Baku Olympic Stadium.
McCarthy, who joined the Azerbaijani side from Kaizer Chiefs during the off-season, met a precise Tymoteusz Puchacz free-kick at the back post to briefly draw Sabah level.
Despite McCarthy’s memorable milestone against one of Europe’s elite clubs, Sabah ultimately fell to a 2-1 defeat as Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy scored a decisive brace to earn Dortmund all three points.
The result snapped Sabah’s perfect home record in European competition this season (previously W5). The Baku-based outfit will now look to bounce back when they travel to face Viking in their next European fixture.
“I showed it tonight [we can go toe-to-toe with the best]. I never expected to score; you don’t plan these things, but it just happened in the moment, so I am very happy,” McCarthy, making him the only South African outfield player active in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League main draw, told ANews after the match.
Despite the 2-1 loss, McCarthy recorded four crucial clearances, two aerial duel wins, and completed 88% of his passes against Dortmund’s frontline at Baku Olympic Stadium.
Following their second defeat in Europe’s premier club tournament, Sabah sit 25th in the expanded 36-team Champions League standings.
Under the new single-league format, teams finishing between 9th and 24th advance to the knockout play-offs, while the top eight—currently led by back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain—qualify automatically for the Round of 16.
With five league phase matches remaining—including home fixtures against Barcelona and Arsenal, as well as trips to Villarreal and Napoli—Sabah’s fate remains in their own hands.
McCarthy believes the performance against Dortmund demonstrated that Sabah can compete with Europe’s biggest clubs, despite the result.
“It just shows anything is possible, no matter who you come against. The ball is round, anything is possible, so as long as you put yourself in those positions to score, it can happen,” McCarthy added.
