Maarten Paes delivered a solid performance as Ajax secured a win, while Mees Hilgers was absent during Twente's goal-scoring spree.

Jakarta – Two Indonesian national team players drew attention during the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round, early morning WIB on Friday (7/8/2026). Maarten Paes was trusted to start from the opening minute as Ajax Amsterdam beat Shelbourne FC 3-1, while Mees Hilgers was not included in the matchday squad when FC Twente demolished DAC 1904 by a convincing 6-0 scoreline.

For both Ajax and Twente, these victories serve as valuable capital ahead of next week's return leg, as they aim to secure qualification to the playoff round.

Paes Plays Full 90 Minutes, Ajax Put On Dominant Display

Maarten Paes was once again named starter and completed the full match between the posts for Ajax. The Indonesian international goalkeeper recorded two saves before conceding a single goal in the dying minutes of the fixture.

Ajax seized control of the game immediately from kick-off at the Johan Cruijff Arena. The hosts opened the scoring in the 6th minute via a Mika Godts penalty, awarded after Milan Mbeng committed a foul inside the penalty area.

Ajax extended their lead in the 22nd minute. Steven Berghuis delivered a cross which was finished by Owen Wijndal, bringing the score to 2-0 at half time.

Five minutes after the second half commenced, Kasper Dolberg made it 3-0 after converting Berghuis' second assist of the match.

Ajax had an opportunity to extend their lead further when they were awarded a second penalty in the 57th minute. Godts failed to convert the spot kick however, leaving the score unchanged.

Shelbourne finally pulled a goal back in the 84th minute through Daniel Kelly. The goal came from a loose rebound, after Paes had initially saved an on-target shot from a Shelbourne player.

Despite securing the win, Ajax's head coach still delivered critical evaluation to his squad. He stated that his players' finishing remained below standard, especially after wasting the second penalty, and noted a lapse in concentration late in the match that resulted in the conceded goal.

With this 3-1 victory, Ajax hold a very favourable position ahead of the return leg in Dublin next week.

Hilgers Remains Excluded From Squad, Twente Secure Six-Goal Rout

In another fixture, FC Twente produced an outstanding performance to crush Slovakian representatives DAC 1904 6-0 at De Grolsch Veste Stadium, Enschede.

Indonesian international defender Mees Hilgers was once again left out of the registered player list. As of the end of the match, no official statement had been released by the club regarding the 25-year-old's absence.

Twente took an early lead through Daan Rots in the 7th minute, before Marko Pjaca doubled the advantage just four minutes later.

The hosts' dominance only grew in the second half. Daouda Weidmann, Max Bruns, Ramiz Zerrouki and Robin Propper all scored in succession to seal the emphatic 6-0 victory.

This result leaves Twente on the verge of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League playoff round. For next week's return leg, the Enschede-based club only need to protect their aggregate lead when travelling to DAC 1904's home ground.

Dutch Sides Hold Strong Qualification Chances

First leg wins have placed both Ajax and FC Twente in an extremely comfortable position to advance to the UEFA Conference League playoff round.

Ajax only require a draw, or even a single-goal defeat, when visiting Shelbourne's stadium. Twente meanwhile hold a far more secure aggregate advantage following their clean sheet six-goal first leg win.

The UEFA Conference League is European football's third tier club competition, ranked below the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. This UEFA-run tournament is contested by clubs from UEFA member nations that did not qualify for the two higher continental competitions.

Clubs that successfully progress through the qualifying and playoff rounds will advance to the group stage, before competing in the knockout phase all the way through to the final.

Full Results: UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round First Leg

Debrecen 0-3 Copenhagen
Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 Qarabag FK
FC Sheriff 1-3 St. Gallen
IFK Göteborg 0-1 Gent
Inter Club d'Escaldes 2-0 Flora Tallinn
Rakow Czestochowa 0-0 Hammarby
Riga FC 1-0 Győri ETO
Žalgiris Vilnius 2-5 Hajduk Split
Beitar Jerusalem 1-2 Austria Wien
Ajax 3-1 Shelbourne
FC Twente 6-0 DAC 1904
Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0 ML Vitebsk
Braga 1-0 Dinamo Minsk
Lugano 2-0 NSÍ Runavík
Valur 0-2 Nordsjælland
Bohemian FC 0-2 Midtjylland
Rijeka 1-0 Ilves
Hibernian 2-1 KF Shkëndija
Partizan Belgrade 3-0 Tobol Kostanay
Tre Fiori 1-4 Drita