Bafana stars in Euro action?
Two
Bafana Bafana stars could be in European action when their teams compete in the
UEFA Europa League tonight.
The
competition is reaching the business end with the knockout stages and both
Thulani Serero and Anele Ngcongca face challenging ties.
Serero’s
Ajax will take on Steaua Bucharest, past winners of the European Cup in the
1985/86 season.
With
many of the top Romanian players now plying their trade in the big leagues of
Europe, Steaua’s influence on the European game has dwindled since those heady
days, but they will still present a stern test for Ajax.
Serero
was on the bench for the weekend draw with Roda JC that put a dent in Ajax’s
title hopes, but did play for the club’s reserve team on Monday night at
Groningen That would suggest he will be on the bench at best in this first leg
at home.
Ngcongca
and his Belgian side Genk are up against Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart, with the
first leg away in Germany.
Genk
also played German opposition in the UEFA Champions League group stages last
season and managed a credible draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen. They also beat
Borussia Dortmund on the away goals rule in the 2004 Intertoto Cup.
Ngcongca
is one of South Africa’s most experienced European campaigners ever with his
Genk side having featured in UEFA competitions in all but one of the six
seasons he had been there, playing 28 matches in the process.
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