Patrick Mbina found the back of the net for Sabah FK, but his early breakthrough was not enough to prevent the Azerbaijani side from suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat against Norwegian outfit Viking Stavanger in the UEFA Champions League.
The Gabonese gave Sabah a dream start in the 11th minute, finishing clinically from an assist by Umarali Rakhmonaliev to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The early goal briefly raised hopes of a memorable away result for Sabah, with Mbina’s clinical finish putting the hosts under pressure in front of their home supporters.
However, Viking Stavanger responded strongly and restored parity in the 27th minute through Erik Botheim, ensuring both sides went into the break level.
The Norwegian side stepped up their attacking intensity after the interval, eventually taking control of the encounter.
Tripić and Henrik Falchener found the net to put Viking firmly in command before Botheim completed his brace in stoppage time to seal an emphatic 4-1 victory.
Despite the disappointing result, Mbina’s early contribution provided a rare positive for Sabah, with the forward marking his night with a goal against the Norwegian opposition.
His opener offered a glimpse of Sabah’s attacking threat, but Viking’s response ultimately proved too strong as the visitors left Stavanger empty-handed.
