Joy-Lance Mickels goes into Sabah FA's Champions League league-phase opener at Old Trafford as a lifelong Manchester United fan. The 32-year-old is expected to start up front at 20:00 BST, and he is set to become the first footballer from Rwanda to play in the Champions League proper.

"Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world so it will be a proud moment to step out on to the pitch," Mickels said, speaking to the BBC.

Mickels' route to the league phase

The trip to Manchester has been built on more than sentiment. Mickels scored four goals as Sabah negotiated four two-legged ties to reach the Champions League proper, and one of those strikes came in the play-off against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, where a 94th-minute goal forced extra time before Sabah won 6-4 on aggregate.

Sabah also arrive with a recent edge that is easy to miss if the focus stays on the venue. They have won four straight Champions League matches in this run, and Mickels scored 19 goals last season as the club won its maiden league title.

Sabah's confidence on the night

Mickels has made clear that the occasion will not be treated like a pure reward. "At the same time, we're not going there only to enjoy the atmosphere. We want to compete to represent not only our club but Azerbaijan in the best possible way and show we deserve to be there," he said.

That is backed up by the rest of his comments to the BBC. "We know that the level will be extremely high, but we believe in ourselves and the strength of our team. We want to gain valuable experience, create memorable moments for our supporters and earn as many points as possible."

Manchester United's own form gives Sabah a decent early measure of the task. United have won four of their last five league matches, so this is not a glamorous opener thrown together for the cameras. The final fixture of Sabah's league phase is against reigning Premier League champions Arsenal, and their home matches against Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona are expected to be staged at the Olympic Stadium in Baku because their ground does not meet Uefa regulations.

Sabah were founded just nine years ago, which makes this whole run feel unusual even by Champions League standards. On Tuesday night, though, the detail that will matter first is Mickels at Old Trafford, wearing Sabah colours against the club he has followed since childhood.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →