“I was asking myself, ‘Why didn’t I bring him on earlier?’” said Ertugral, after Witbooi changed the game for City — although, by then, it was too little, too late. But obviously, we’re talking about a 16-year-old boy, and we also had Gabriel (Amato), a 19-year-old, on the field.

“So, these youngsters have a future. At the same time, we have to get results, so we couldn’t take too many risks.”

Having already shone for the national youth teams and City’s reserves, many have tipped Witbooi to become a superstar at his tender age. As such, local fans eagerly anticipated that he would secure a contract with Chelsea’s U18 team after undergoing a month-long trial with the London-based club.

According to Cape Town City’s head of football development and recruitment, Grant Veitch — who travelled with Witbooi to the UK — the teenager impressed during his trial.

“Amid his technical abilities, he fitted into the U18 squad quite seamlessly. He barely lost the ball throughout his time there,” Veitch told iDiski Times at the time. “I think it’s about acclimatising, getting used to the surroundings, and adjusting to the facilities of a big club.”

Witbooi is on course to become one of the country’s finest footballers—so much so that Ralani, who sees himself in the young talent, believes the world is his oyster.

“At his age, I see a young boy who is going to reach a level that I never did,” Ralani said in an interview with Goal South Africa.

“That’s how good I see my son. Playing in the U16 League in Gauteng, doing the things he’s doing, and representing the national team — it’s impressive. The way he plays reminds me a bit of myself. But as his father, I don’t want to overhype him … though he truly is a top-quality talent.

“If he keeps his head and feet firmly on the ground, I see him reaching heights I never did. That’s where I come in — as both a role model and a father — to guide him, because I’ve been on this road before.”