A starter in Sabah FK’s first two Champions League matches, South African defender Aden McCarthy (22) faces Borussia Dortmund and Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy this Tuesday in Baku, on matchday 3 of the league phase.
The former Kaizer Chiefs centre-back is named in the Champions League line-up against Borussia Dortmund this Tuesday, 20 October 2026 in Baku, on matchday 3 of the league phase, SuperSport reports. At 22, the South African is experiencing his first European campaign at the highest level.
Having arrived at the Azerbaijani club at the start of the 2026-2027 season, McCarthy immediately established himself in the squad: he started the first two matchdays, in the 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United and then in the historic 2-0 win over Slavia Prague. Against Dortmund, he will come up against Serhou Guirassy.
Four qualifying rounds for a first
Sabah FK’s summer was demanding: the club came through four qualifying rounds to reach the 32-team league phase, a first in its history.
The Bafana Bafana centre-back took the lesson from Manchester before playing his part in the convincing win over Czech champions Slavia Prague. Buoyed by that success, the club are aiming to pull off another upset at home.
A Dortmund side on 3 points
On the other side, Borussia Dortmund have 3 points after two matches: a 3-2 win over Villarreal, then a surprise 1-0 defeat to Norway’s Bodø/Glimt. In the Bundesliga, Niko Kovac’s BVB are on two disappointing draws, against Werder Bremen (2-2) and Union Berlin (0-0).
The Ruhr club do know the venue, though: they have already travelled to Baku, with a 3-1 win over FK Qabala in 2015, complete with an Aubameyang hat-trick, and a 1-0 win over Qarabag in 2010. Precedents McCarthy and his team-mates will need to keep in mind to contain Guirassy and company.
A duel with Guirassy
The Guinean striker, for his part, faced South Africa in AFCON qualifiers last month. This time the duel will be played out on the European stage.
Tuesday’s match, 20 October 2026 in Baku, is scheduled for matchday 3 of the league phase.