Benni McCarthy, Quinton Fortune Among Top 4 South African Scorers in UEFA Champions League History

• Benni McCarthy is one of the best South African players to feature in the UEFA Champions League
• The South African coach alongside Quinton Fortune are South Africa's leading scorers in UCL history
• The former Bafana Bafana striker also remains the only player from his country to win the competition

South Africans are not left out when it comes to nations that have made their mark in the history of the most prestigious club competition in the world, the UEFA Champions League.

Aside from the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League is arguably the next tournament being rated high by football enthusiasts due to the buzz around it and the fact that most players always dream of winning the beautiful trophy.

With the 2023-24 edition of the competition now in the final stages, Sports Brief takes a look at South Africa's top goalscorers in the tournament's history.

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South Africa's top scorers in UCL history

4. Thulani Serero – 1 goal

The former Ajax Cape Town star is the fourth on the list after registering one goal and two assists in 11 appearances in the UEFA Champions League.

Serero's only goal in the competition came against Spanish giants Barcelona in the 2013-14 season. Ajax defeated the Catalans 2-1 at the Amsterdam Arena, with the former Bafana Bafana star scoring the match's first goal in the 19th minute.

3. Quinton Fortune – 2 goals

Former Atletico Madrid defender Quinton Fortune is third on the list, with two goals to his name.

The former South African international's first goal came in a group stage game between Manchester United and Panathinaikos. The Red Devils thrashed the Greek giants 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Fortune's second goal came in United's round of 16 loss against FC Porto in 2004.

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2. Steven Pienaar – 2 goals

The former Tottenham midfielder is one of the most prominent high-profile South African superstars who played in Europe.

The former Bafana Bafana star scored two goals in the Champions League, and both strikes were during his time with the Eredivisie giants Ajax.

1. Benni McCarthy – 9 goals

The former West Ham United striker remains the only South African player to win the UEFA Champions League, and he's also his country's highest goalscorer in the competition's history.

The former Bafana Bafana striker scored nine goals from 28 appearances and won the tournament with FC Porto in the 2003-04 season.

Bafana legends who played for top European clubs

Sports Brief also outlined Bafana Bafana legends who have played for top European clubs during their illustrious football careers.

Recently, most of the South African players on the national team are majorly from the Premier Soccer League (local league), while a few are still scattered in Europe.