Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Aden McCarthy scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night. The 22-year-old centre-back found the net in a group stage match against his side's German opponents.
McCarthy believes the goal can form the foundation for a successful spell in European football. He sees the moment as a personal breakthrough that validates his move abroad.
The landmark strike arrives as his former club seeks momentum in their domestic campaign. Kaizer Chiefs sit fifth in the Premier Soccer League with 14 points from eight games, having drawn three of their last four matches. Their recent form shows no wins, three draws and one defeat in their last four outings, a sequence that began with a 1-1 draw against Polokwane City on 12 September, followed by a 0-0 draw at Golden Arrows on 20 September. They then drew 1-1 with Stellenbosch on 13 October, where Mduduzi Shabalala, the club's top scorer this season with two goals in five appearances, was on target. Their most recent result was a 1-0 defeat away to Red Arrows last weekend, a match decided by a 77th-minute goal from A. Diarra. They now face a major test against arch-rivals Orlando Pirates, who are second in the standings, on Saturday 31 October.
Chiefs' form has been mixed, with a record of three wins, five draws and no losses so far this season, leaving them nine points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. The team has scored 13 goals and conceded eight, giving them a goal difference of plus five. The team's next fixture, the Soweto Derby away to Pirates, is a key opportunity to close that gap. McCarthy’s European success offers a reminder of the talent developed at the club as the squad list prepares for that high-stakes encounter.
First reported at Vodacom Soccer
