Former Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Steven Pienaar believes playmaker Hakim Ziyech would attract more plaudits if he were European.

Ziyech, 26, has been one of the standout performers for the Eredivisie giants in the Champions League this season as they continue to defy all odds.

Before they achieved a famous quarter-final victory over Juventus in Turin, the former Bafana Bafana captain, who spent five seasons at the Amsterdam Arena labelled the African star as 'underrated'.

"Ziyech is one of the players that has been playing really well all season, he's the type of player that when you watch him in action, he makes you happy," Pienaar said at the Heineken UEFA Champions League event.

"He's a complete footballer, but underrated, you know if you're not European, you are always underrated."

The Morocco international who will come up against Bafana at AFCON 2019 in Group D, has scored 19 goals and registered 20 assists in 42 games across all competitions this season.