South African pair out of UEFA Champions League, but former Kaizer Chiefs star advances

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/links-gift/4MkHK9lQ/"]Links[/a]’ [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aarhus/OOXnKGbO/"]Aarhus[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mofokeng-relebohile/hx20yWyp/"]Mofokeng[/a]’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/royale-union-sg/407h8Ird/"]Royale Union Saint-Gilloise[/a] will play in the UEFA Europa League after they suffered defeats in the third qualifying round of the elite European club competition on Tuesday.[/p][p]Links, who recently renewed his contract with Danish champions Aarhus, was taken off in the second half as his side were handed a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aarhus-OOXnKGbO/sabah-baku-fNGcxbyr/?mid=rZs8POLh"]4-0[/a] thrashing away in Azerbaijan by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sabah-baku/fNGcxbyr/"]Sabah[/a], the club that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kaizer-chiefs/fFZ2CGx0/"]Chiefs[/a] defender Aden [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccarthy-benni/d4ZZqbQc/"]McCarthy[/a] recently joined.[/p][p]McCarthy was again an unused substitute as Sabah secured a 5-2 aggregate triumph and moved through to the two-legged play-offs, where they will meet either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/h-beer-sheva/EXAD1YZP/"]Hapoel Be’er Sheva[/a] of Israel or former European champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/salzburg/Olvehxrl/"]Red Star Belgrade[/a] of Serbia to decide a place in the league phase.[/p][p]McCarthy has yet to make a competitive appearance for his side this season but will hope that comes soon, and that he gets the chance to play against the likes of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] in the league phase.[/p][embed guid="c94786d6-b52c-4181-afe6-0eca8f8880a9" url="https://x.com/UnionStGilloise/status/2087247660113608772?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Mofokeng, who scored on his league debut for Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise on Saturday, was brought on for extra time as his side were level 2-2 with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bodo-glimt/S0WZMUNG/"]Bodø/Glimt[/a] away in Norway but eventually lost [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bodo-glimt-S0WZMUNG/royale-union-sg-407h8Ird/?mid=6TOBr6DD"]3-2[/a].[/p][p]Mofokeng was not used in last week’s first leg in Belgium, which ended in a 3-3 draw, but with the tie going to extra time with the two sides level on aggregate, he would have hoped to make a decisive impact, as he did in the Belgian Super Cup in his first appearance for his new club following his move from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-pirates/p4SF9EMI/"]Orlando Pirates[/a].[/p][p]But it was the home side who scored three minutes before the tie would have gone to penalties to put Bodø/Glimt through to the play-offs.[/p][p]South African players in the UEFA Champions League have been a rarity in recent years, with Benni McCarthy famously the only one to lift the trophy when he helped José Mourinho’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-porto/S2NmScGp/"]FC Porto[/a] to the title in the 2003/04 season.[/p]