Cape Town City head coach Eric Tinkler has said their teenage wonderkid Emile Witbooi will be involved with the first team this season, but they have a long-term strategy for him.
Witbooi, the 16-year-old son of former City midfielder Surprise Ralani, has been gaining a lot of attention, especially his starring performances for the national U15 and U17 teams. He scored a brace against Algeria U17 last week in a 7-4 win in Ivory Coast.
- ALSO READ: Tinkler – How City, Chiefs & Pirates Can Compete With Downs
- Kaizer Jr Reveals Details About Chiefs’ Mayo Chase
On his return from the FIFA 6 nations tournament, Witbooi has trained with the first team, and Tinkler said that while he may be two decades younger than some of his City teammates, he is adapting well to senior football.
However, the City coach has said that they will be strategic in how they blood the teenager, and make sure that they keep him grounded.
“You put him next to obviously, the senior players and he looks still like a baby, but he doesn’t play like a baby,” Tinkler told iDiski Times.
“That’s the important thing, he doesn’t play like a baby. He plays with a lot of maturity, a lot of confidence, a lot of arrogance, but we’ve got to keep him grounded.
“And at this level, he finds it a little bit harder, which is what you want, it needs to be harder for him to really be able to progress in his career.
“You’re gonna see him being involved this season, definitely with the PSL team, because I think, like you said, that learning experience, that rubbing shoulders with some of the senior players, he can only benefit from that.
“And then obviously the senior players also making him aware that he’s still one of the youth players, he’s still got a long road to become successful as a pro player, playing one game or two games in the PSL doesn’t make you a fully grown professional. So he’s going to have to keep working hard.
“But I’m pretty sure, because of the mentality he has, very similar to his dad, he’ll become a very good player.”
