Mickels Leads Sabah FK Against Dortmund After Schalke Setback

A move to Azerbaijan transformed Joy-Lance Mickels from a former Schalke 04 prospect into a key player for Sabah FK, giving the 32-year-old a leading role in the UEFA Champions League. On October 20, 2026, the German-born forward faced Borussia Dortmund in Baku after helping his club secure its first victory in the competition and reach the league phase for the first time.

According to derwesten.de, Mickels scored in Sabah's 2-0 victory over Slavia Prague on the second matchday, sealing the result in the 88th minute with a shot from approximately 35 meters. The achievement followed a 4-0 opening defeat against Manchester United and marked the club's first Champions League win.

Mickels had also played an important role in Sabah's qualification campaign. Against Hapoel Beer Sheva, he scored during a 5-2 victory after extra time, finding the net for a 5-1 lead. Earlier qualifying rounds featured goals against The New Saints and KuPS, as well as a goal and an assist against Aarhus, according to derwesten.de.

The forward's rise followed an uneven career in Germany. After developing in Borussia Mönchengladbach's youth system, he joined Schalke in 2014, where coach Roberto Di Matteo invited him to train with the first team. Despite working alongside established players including Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Benedikt Höwedes and Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mickels never made a competitive first-team appearance before leaving in 2016.

Reflecting on his first training session with Schalke's senior squad, Mickels recalled Di Matteo's decision to keep him with the professionals.

"You will stay with the professionals for now," Roberto Di Matteo told Mickels after their first training session, according to derwesten.de's account of the forward's recollection.

The opportunity did not lead to a lasting breakthrough. A knee injury initially disrupted Mickels' arrival in Gelsenkirchen, and he continued playing in the Regionalliga while training with the senior team. He later acknowledged shortcomings in his approach to the game.

"I wasn't as professional as I should have been," Mickels said, reflecting on his time at Schalke.

After leaving the club, he played for Alemannia Aachen, Wacker Nordhausen and Carl Zeiss Jena before moving to Dutch side MVV Maastricht. He joined Sabah FK in 2021 despite reservations from friends who believed the move could limit his prospects. A brief spell with Saudi Arabian club Al-Faisaly followed before he returned to Azerbaijan, where he became a regular contributor and helped Sabah win its first Azerbaijani league title, according to derwesten.de.

Before the Dortmund match, Mickels acknowledged the difference in squad strength but believed Sabah could compete with the German club over 90 minutes. His comments to Absolut Fussball reflected confidence in his team's ability to produce another surprise.

"Anything is possible in 90 minutes," Mickels said ahead of the match against Dortmund.

Sabah's home advantage and collective performance were central to his hopes of challenging the visitors. Dortmund arrived after a 0-1 defeat against Bodø/Glimt, adding pressure as the German side sought to reverse a difficult run of results.

"I hope we can find a way to take the sting out of them," Mickels said, describing his hopes for the contest.

The Dortmund fixture was another milestone in a career that had once appeared unlikely to reach European football's highest club competition. Mickels also made his international debut for Rwanda in March, joining his brothers Joy-Slayd and Leroy-Jacques in the national team.

Sabah's Champions League schedule also included a late-November home meeting with Barcelona, followed by matches against Villarreal, Napoli and Arsenal, according to derwesten.de. For Mickels, the European campaign followed years spent outside Germany's top professional division.