Kimberley’s teen sensation Emile Witbooi set for Chelsea trial amid Premier League interest

Cape Town City’s Emile Witbooi is the latest South African teenager with the footballing world at his feet.

According to reports, Witbooi is set to travel to London where he will have a trial with Premier League giants Chelsea.

The London-based Chelsea are not the only English club reportedly keeping tabs on the Kimberley-born youngster. Last year, this publication reported that Manchester United were also monitoring his progress.

While he is yet to feature for the first team, the 16-year-old attacking midfielder and winger has been turning heads with a number of eye-catching performances for his club’s DStv Diski Challenge side, and for junior national teams.

And on top of that, he has been named the best player at a number of age-group tournaments in the country, and featured for the South African Under-15 side at the UEFA Under-16 International Development Tournament.

Lebogang Manyama, the club’s assistant coach, believes Witbooi can have a fruitful career in Europe, and wants him to go abroad as soon as possible.

"... I think for me, for a player like him, the vision should be Europe, to push for a debut in the PSL. Yeah, if it happens. It will happen if it's meant to happen, but I see him as a player that can go and do a lot of things in Europe and I think for him the earlier, the better,” Manyama was quoted by SABC Sport.

“That's our vision as a club to try get him there as soon as possible. Obviously trying to get him the experience also in our league because he also needs to show there what he can do."

Witbooi’s father is Bradley Ralani, who plays for first division Hungry Lions, and who previously turned out for Cape Town City, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Cape Town Spurs, but spent the majority of his playing career in Sweden.