Serero makes first Ajax start

Thulani Serero played his first full 90 minutes for Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday night as they breezed into the third round of the Dutch Cup with a 3-1 victory at lower league Noordwijk.
The Bafana Bafana international had made four substitute appearances in the Eredivisie for Ajax before last night, but will be pleased with his first start and a full run-out after he had been suffering from a hamstring niggle picked up on national team duty in Niger earlier this month.
He can now look forward to Ajax’s next fixture, at home to title rivals FC Twente on Saturday, after which the Dutch side travel to Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday.
Across the border, the exciting Ayanda Patosi made his first start for Lokoren as they defeated Eupen 3-0 in the Belgian Cup.
Patosi has been likened to Serero in style and is tipped to be a major star in Belgium. He too has been mostly used off the bench this season following a move from the ASD Academy in Cape Town ahead of the new season.
The South African trio of Daylon Claasen, Siboniso Gaxa and Lance Davids all started and finished Lierse’s 1-0 Belgian Cup win over lower league Turnhout which sets up a Last 16 meeting with Anele Ngcongca’s Genk.
Ngcongca was given a rest at halftime as Genk thumped minnows Deinza 6-2 in their cup fixture.