THULANI Serero will hope to rekindle one of his greatest nights on a football field when Ajax Amsterdam host Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League tonight.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder was mesmerising when these two sides met in the same competition almost exactly a year ago - scoring the opener for Ajax and putting in a superb all-round performance.
It was a game that for many showed Serero had finally "arrived" on the European scene and, injuries aside, he has kept his first-team place ever since.
The 24-year-old returned from his latest injury at the weekend when he started from the bench in a 4-0 league win over Dordrecht.
But having proven his fitness, he will hope to be in the starting line-up.
Daley Blind, now with Manchester United, said the Ajax players kept reading quotes from Serero in the Dutch press saying they had the beating of Barca and eventually began to believe what he was saying.
They saw that the Catalan giants held no fear for Serero and Blind said his courage changed the mindset of teammates.
Ajax must win tonight to keep their hopes of a second-round place alive, having been beaten 3-1 at Camp Nou a fortnight ago - a match Serero missed through injury.
Serero is the only South African competing in the Champions League this season.
Serero hopes to repeat heroics
THULANI Serero will hope to rekindle one of his greatest nights on a football field when Ajax Amsterdam host Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League tonight.
The Bafana Bafana midfielder was mesmerising when these two sides met in the same competition almost exactly a year ago - scoring the opener for Ajax and putting in a superb all-round performance.
It was a game that for many showed Serero had finally "arrived" on the European scene and, injuries aside, he has kept his first-team place ever since.
The 24-year-old returned from his latest injury at the weekend when he started from the bench in a 4-0 league win over Dordrecht.
But having proven his fitness, he will hope to be in the starting line-up.
Daley Blind, now with Manchester United, said the Ajax players kept reading quotes from Serero in the Dutch press saying they had the beating of Barca and eventually began to believe what he was saying.
They saw that the Catalan giants held no fear for Serero and Blind said his courage changed the mindset of teammates.
Ajax must win tonight to keep their hopes of a second-round place alive, having been beaten 3-1 at Camp Nou a fortnight ago - a match Serero missed through injury.
Serero is the only South African competing in the Champions League this season.
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