South African defender Aden McCarthy scored his first Champions League goal for Sabah FK against Borussia Dortmund (1-2). A Serhou Guirassy brace gave Dortmund the win.
On 21 October 2026, at the Baku Olympic Stadium, Aden McCarthy scored his very first Champions League goal. The 22-year-old South African centre-back, a former Kaizer Chiefs player, equalised with a header in the 39th minute, according to SuperSport.
The goal was not enough. Serhou Guirassy, the Dortmund striker, scored a brace that gave the Germans victory (1-2). For Sabah FK, it is a third defeat in three league phase matchdays, after those against Slavia Prague and Manchester United. For McCarthy, the main thing lies elsewhere: his name now joins the list of South Africans to have scored in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
90 minutes in the heart of defence
Lined up alongside Steve Solvet in the centre of defence, McCarthy played the full match, FARPost reports. According to SuperSport, it was his third consecutive start in the Champions League with the Azerbaijani club.
The goal came from a header. “It just shows that these things are possible, no matter the opponent,” the player told FARPost (translated by our editorial team), before adding: “I wasn’t expecting to score. I don’t plan these things, but it happened in the moment, so I’m very happy.”
A very exclusive club
By scoring against Borussia Dortmund, McCarthy becomes one of the few South African footballers in history to find the net in the Champions League. SuperSport lists his predecessors: Benni McCarthy (8 goals), Quinton Fortune (2), Steven Pienaar (2) and Nasief Morris (1).
With a single goal to his name, McCarthy shares that tally with Nasief Morris. The context makes his performance all the more remarkable: Dortmund, who had to leave Baku with all three points, owe the victory to Guirassy, scorer of both German goals.
Arsenal up next
For Sabah FK, the league phase remains difficult. The next fixture is against Arsenal in early November 2026, on matchday 4.
A single source, LiveFoot, also reports that the German club refused to use the dressing rooms at Sabah’s stadium after the match, for health reasons. This information has not been confirmed by the other sources consulted.