On a historic night for both Sabah FK and Rwandan football, Joy-Lance Mickels delivered when it mattered most. The Rwanda international scored in extra time as Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK defeated Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva 5-2 to secure a dramatic 6-4 aggregate victory and qualify for the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time in the club’s history. For Sabah, it was a landmark achievement. For Mickels, it marked the culmination of a football journey defined by talent, setbacks, resilience and perseverance. ALSO READ: History as Joy-Lance Mickels, Sabah FK qualify for UEFA Champions League While many Rwandan football fans have only recently become familiar with his name, the 32-year-old attacker has spent years navigating the highs and lows of professional football across Europe and the Middle East before reaching club football’s biggest stage. A dream born in Germany Born on March 29, 1994, in Siegburg, Germany, Mickels began playing football at the age of four with local club VSF Amern. His talent quickly stood out and, at 11, he joined the youth academy of Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he spent the next eight years developing his pace, technical ability and attacking instincts. His breakthrough came during the 2012/13 season, when he scored 17 goals for Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Under-19 side, helping the team reach the German Junior Cup semi-finals. His performances earned him promotion to Borussia Mönchengladbach II and his first taste of senior football. Battling through setbacks, about to quit Like many academy graduates, Mickels dreamed of playing in the Bundesliga. In 2014, he moved to Schalke 04, where he spent two seasons with Schalke II, making 43 appearances and scoring nine goals. Despite carrying a knee injury when he arrived, Mickels soon made his first Regionalliga appearances and caught the attention of then-Schalke first-team coach Roberto Di Matteo, who invited him to train with the senior squad. “After the first training session, Roberto Di Matteo came up to me and said: ‘You’re staying with the professionals for now.’ At that moment, a dream came true for me, also because Schalke are an unbelievably great club,” Mickels recalled. Training alongside stars such as Kevin-Prince Boateng, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Benedikt Höwedes was, he said, “magnificent.” However, a first-team breakthrough never came. Mickels subsequently moved through Germany’s lower divisions with Alemannia Aachen and Wacker Nordhausen, where he enjoyed some of the best football of his career. A serious knee injury disrupted his progress during the 2019/20 season. While he was working his way back to fitness, Wacker Nordhausen suffered financial problems and eventually went bankrupt. He then joined Carl Zeiss Jena, but the club was relegated. That was the time Mickels, then 26, finally left German football behind in the summer of 2020. A season with MVV Maastricht in the Dutch second division followed, and a year later he ended up accepting the offer from Azerbaijan. The start was tough: After two weeks I actually wanted to call everything off. At that point I was still living in a hotel, didn't have a flat in Baku and hardly anyone spoke English, Mickels explained. The move that changed everything Mickels’ mover to Sabah was highly questioned at the time. Friends even warned him that relocating to Azerbaijan could hurt his ambitions of competing at the highest level. Mickels, however, saw it as an exciting opportunity. The decision proved transformative. He quickly established himself as one of the league’s dangerous attacking players. His ability to play as a winger, attacking midfielder or striker made him an important figure in Sabah’s rise. After a brief spell with Saudi Arabian side Al Faisaly, Mickels returned to Sabah and continued to thrive, contributing more than 40 goals across his two spells with the club. His biggest moment came during Sabah’s historic Champions League qualification campaign. With qualification hanging in the balance against Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Mickels struck in extra time to help secure a famous victory and send the Azerbaijani champions into the Champions League league phase. For a club founded only in 2017, reaching Europe’s premier club competition is the biggest achievement in its history. Choosing Rwanda Mickels’ story extends beyond club football. Born and raised in Germany, he became eligible to represent Rwanda through his family heritage and chose to wear the Amavubi colours. His arrival has strengthened Rwanda’s squad with a player whose career has taken him through Germany, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. His pace, creativity and versatility have added valuable experience to the national team. Football also runs deep in the family. Mickels is the twin brother of professional footballer Joy-Slayd Mickels and brother of Leroy Mickels, who also built a career in Germany. The trio made their international debuts for Rwanda in March during the FIFA Series, which the country eventually won in Kigali. A journey of perseverance Today, Mickels is enjoying the biggest chapter of his career. From Borussia Mönchengladbach’s academy to Germany’s lower divisions, and from a serious knee injury and club bankruptcy to rebuilding his career abroad, his path has been anything but straightforward. But he never stopped believing. Now, as he prepares to face some of Europe’s biggest clubs in the UEFA Champions League, Mickels stands as one of Rwanda’s most accomplished football exports. The UEFA Champions League league-phase draw is scheduled for Thursday, August 27.
