Goal in the 12th second: 'Rebel' goalkeeper Babiychuk repeats his record against 'Carbon', but loses 5:3

A unique episode occurred in Ukrainian football, which can rightly be called the main curiosity and masterpiece of the season. In the match of the 2nd round of the Second League between Kyiv's 'Rebel' and Cherkasy's 'Carbon', spectators witnessed one of the fastest and most impressive goals in the history of national football. The initiator of this event was the 32-year-old goalkeeper of the home team, Maksym Babiychuk, who scored a fantastic goal almost immediately after the opening whistle.

Mechanics of the record goal

According to the match broadcast recorded by Sport RBC.UA, events developed rapidly. Immediately after the kickoff from the center of the field, a 'Rebel' player passed the ball back to his own goalkeeper. Maksym Babiychuk, not wasting time, powerfully kicked the ball from his own half of the field. The 'projectile' flew across the entire field, went over the disoriented 'Carbon' goalkeeper, and fluttered in the net. The official match protocol recorded that the goal was scored in the 12th second of the match.

Historical context and records

This result approached the absolute record of Ukrainian football. The fastest goal in the history of the elite division (UPL) was scored by Roman Yaremtchuk in 2016, scoring for 'Alexandria' against 'Vorskla' in the 8th second. For Babiychuk himself, this is already the second such masterpiece in his career – in August 2024, in the amateur championship, he also scored from his own half against Kropyvnytskyi's 'Zvezda'.

Match result: a goal-scoring shootout

Despite the phenomenal start and a quick two-goal lead (2:0 in the 4th minute), the Kyiv club could not hold the positive result. The match turned into a real goal-scoring shootout with 8 goals scored, in which the guests from Cherkasy won with a score of 5:3. This highlights that even the most spectacular goal does not guarantee victory in modern football, where scoring and defensive stability remain key factors.

Maksym Babiychuk's career

The experienced 32-year-old goalkeeper is a product of Zaporizhzhia football. During his career, he has played for such famous clubs as Zaporizhzhia's 'Metalurh', 'Bukovyna' from Chernivtsi, Rovno's 'Veres', and Vinnytsia's 'Nyva'. In 2014, he was called up to the Ukraine U-20 youth national team, which testifies to his high potential in the past. Currently, Babiychuk continues to prove his uniqueness in Second League matches.