Amajimbos star Witbooi among ‘the most talented in the country’: Mark Mayambela

Mark Mayambela is not surprised by the progress the South Africa Under-17 team is making on the world stage.

He attributes their success — qualifying for the 2025 Fifa U-17 World Cup, then starting with a heroic 3-1 shock against Bolivia there on Monday, playing with 10 men for an hour — to three years of consistent development, supported by various coaches who have notably contributed to the players’ growth. Amajimbos meet Qatar in their second match at the Aspire Complex in Doha on Thursday (5.45pm South African time).

Mayambela was a youth coach at Cape Town City for Emile Witbooi, Amajimbos’ 17-year-old standout attacker whose starring display and superbly taken goal against Bolivia set tongues wagging in Qatar and at home.

Former Orlando Pirates star Mayambela — who also turned out for clubs including Cape Town City, Chippa United, SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic — believes players like Witbooi and other stars of the U-17s, such as Kaizer Chiefs’ Neo Bohloko, have been prepared for this moment.

He told Sunday Times that coach Vela Khumalo’s team can further impress at the U-17 World Cup. They notched up a historic first win of the tournament for South Africa despite a patchy build-up programme provided by the South African Football Association (Safa), and Mayambela believes they can advance to the quarterfinals.

“We have the talent for that,” he said. “Talent alone should at least take us to the quarterfinals. This team has been together for the past two to three years under Walter Steenbok.”

Former Safa technical director Steenbok is credited with sourcing much of the talent performing well for South African junior teams at present.

“Also, most of these players have more than 10 national team caps. It shows the investment that was made and the plan Steenbok had for this team. It’s showing now and I think they even have the potential to reach a semifinal in this tournament.”

Witbooi has consistently been the standout player for Amajimbos. Mayambela attributes the skilled, classy young playmaker’s development to the support he received from his club, Cape Town City, but also Witbooi’s father, Surprise Ralani, a former Citizens player who performed well in a stint at trophy machines Mamelodi Sundowns.

“You know one thing about Emile that strikes me and makes me happy is the kind of human being he is,” Mayambela said of the humble player. “It’s about how he behaves as a footballer and the mindset he has. I think he’s one of the most talented players in the country.

“The first time I saw him he was with coach Zipho Dlangalala when he took a national team U-16 team to Poland [in 2023]. I think he was 14 at the time, but what he did on the field of play was interesting. That’s when I started to follow him in his career. Fortunately, I also saw with him coming to City, the growth and influence he has.

“He’s a leader by performance, so influential in the game. We’ve seen what he did in the PSL last season [becoming the youngest City debutant at 16 years, six months and five days and ninth-youngest in Premiership history].

“He’s definitely a player for the future for the country, definitely a national team asset. Players like him and Lwandiso Radebe, Kamohelo Mareletse and Joshua Taylor, these are the players we need to support because they need our help in developing not only to be good players but good human beings too. I think we have a huge responsibility as a country to develop these human beings.”

Developing players as human beings is close to Mayambela’s heart.

“You must also consider the socio-economic issues we have in South Africa. The dynamics of growing up in the townships in areas like the Cape Flats, how difficult it is with drugs, alcohol and gangsterism, all of these factors. It’s very important for the players to be supported in every part of their life and development, more especially as human beings too.

“When we develop players who have strong personalities, good attitude and a good mindset they stand a chance to succeed because football is a very difficult and competitive sport. You need players who are not only tactically superior but also socially competent, psychologically strong with a good mindset, and make good decisions on and off the field. This holistic development is important for these young men. It’s for us to give them a chance to make it in football.”

Mayambela, who holds a Uefa A coaching licence, has made major strides in his career. He led Mamelodi Sundowns’ Under-15 team to victory in the Gauteng Development League. He aspires to join the ranks of successful coaching exports like Rulani Mokwena, Fadlu Davids and Pitso Mosimane.

“They’re an inspiration to many of us, including myself. They make us happy and proud to be South African.”