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Bafana Bafana right-back, Anele Ngcongca and midfielder, Thulani Serero will both be hoping to make their Champions League debut’s for their respective clubs, Ngcongca for Genk and Serero for Ajax Amsterdam and mark the return of South African participation in the competition.
Genk, who are the Belgian champions, will tackle Spanish giants, Valencia in their Champions League opener while Ajax will welcome Lyon to the Amsterdam Arena.
Ngcongca seems more likely to be in action as he is Genk’s first choice right-back, while Ajax coach, Frank de Boer has only used Serero as a substitute in the Eredivisie till now.
Ngcongca was evidently excited while being cautiously optimistic in a recent interview on Soccer Laduma’s website.
“It’s a dream come true for me to be playing in the Champions League. I'm very excited to be facing Valencia,” Ngcongca told Soccer Laduma.
“We know that we have got good teams [in our group] and we respect them all, but we are not scared.
Ngcongca will hope that his latest adventure will only improve his game and recognises the importance behind the experience as it can add value to the national team the next time he is selected to the squad.
“It is important to play Champions League football. You gain experience and you can share it with your Bafana teammates.
“In the Champions League you play with players who mostly represent their countries and when you come up against them, you already know their style.”
