With Percy Tau soon to go up against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League, here are 10 South African stars who have graced the European competition before him, including a current Kaizer Chiefs forward and the late John Moshoeu.
Click through the gallery above to see 10 South Africans who have previously played in the Europa League.
The competition, previously known as the UEFA Cup, was founded 49 years ago, but was rebranded in 2009 to the UEFA Europa League.
On Thursday, former Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Tau will see his Club Brugge side go head to head with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United, after the Mzansi star's team were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League where they were in a group with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Galatasaray.
Tau has never before featured in the competition, and will join a long list of South Africans to have participated in the tournament if he plays. According to Transfermarkt, ex-Orlando Pirates striker Benni McCarthy is the SA star with the most appearances in the Europa League, having played 39 matches.
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McCarthy represented three teams in the tournament – Ajax Amsterdam, Celta Vigo and Blackburn Rovers – scoring 15 times for those three clubs.
Former Everton and Bidvest Wits midfielder Steven Pienaar appeared 19 times in the Europa League in his career, also wearing the shirts of three different sides. Meanwhile, Nasief Morris represented Panathinaikos on 18 occasions in the tournament.
Other high-profile names such as Lucas Radebe and the late John "Shoes" Moshoeu played in the European competition, as did Chiefs forward Bernard Parker during his spell at FC Twente in the Eredivisie. To see some more South Africans who played in the tournament, click through the gallery above!
Do you think Tau will have an impact against United? Let us know in the comments section below.
