It was a difficult night in the UEFA Champions League for South Africans Gift Links and Relebohile Mofokeng, as both players saw their teams eliminated from the competition. However, a former Kaizer Chiefs defender advanced to the next stage.

Links’ Aarhus and Mofokeng’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise will now continue their European campaigns in the UEFA Europa League after both sides suffered defeats in the third qualifying round of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Links, who recently extended his contract with Danish champions Aarhus, was substituted in the second half as his team suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat away to Sabah in Azerbaijan.

Sabah recently welcomed former Kaizer Chiefs defender Benni McCarthy to their squad, although the South African was once again an unused substitute as his new side secured a 5-2 aggregate victory.

The Azerbaijani club have now progressed to the two-legged play-off round, where they will face either Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva or Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade for a place in the Champions League league phase.

McCarthy is still waiting to make his competitive debut for Sabah this season and will be hoping his opportunity arrives soon.

If selected, the former Chiefs defender could potentially face some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Barcelona, should Sabah reach the Champions League league phase.

Mofokeng, who scored on his Belgian league debut for Union Saint-Gilloise on Saturday, was introduced for extra time with his side level at 2-2 against Bodø/Glimt in Norway. However, they eventually suffered a 3-2 defeat.

The South African was not involved in last week’s first leg in Belgium, which finished 3-3. With the tie still level on aggregate and heading into extra time, Mofokeng would have been hoping to make a decisive contribution, just as he did in the Belgian Super Cup during his first appearance for the club following his move from Orlando Pirates.

However, it was the hosts who struck three minutes before the match would have gone to a penalty shootout, securing Bodø/Glimt’s place in the play-offs.

South African players have been a rare sight in the UEFA Champions League in recent years. Benni McCarthy remains the only South African to have lifted the prestigious trophy, having helped José Mourinho’s FC Porto win the Champions League during the 2003/04 season.