Former Mamelodi Sundowns winger Surprise Ralani has claimed Cape Town Spurs dismissed him after his son Emile Witbooi joined rival team, Cape Town City.
The now 37-year-old joined the Urban Warriors from Mamelodi Sundowns at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. Despite the team's struggles, Ralani was among the few shining lights owing to his experience.
The veteran midfielder played 14 games for Spurs before he was dropped in the mid-season transfer window. He later came to learn that the board was not impressed with the fact that his son had joined the Citizens.
The now Hungary Lions player fell out of favour with coach Ernst Middendorp, and was denied matches. The player has explained how he found himself out in the cold even when the team was struggling.
The Spurs board was not happy with me
“When the new coach came in, I was still there, I actually played the first few games under him before I got released, but there was a little bit of a situation when there was a rumour about my son signing for Cape Town City,” he told Metro FM's Sports Night Amplified.
“And management was not happy, so they had a meeting about it and stuff like that, and one day the coach called a senior players' meeting – there were five senior players, and I was included.
“Out of the blue, the coach mentioned how the board is not happy with my son being at Cape Town City, but I'm playing for Spurs,” Ralani added.
There was never a problem with me!
Ralani felt it was a witch hunt from the officials that led to his exit since, prior to the incident, there was no problem with him and the entire Spurs team at large.
“The coach just mentioned the board was questioning my loyalty to the club, and I also explained to them straightforwardly that, ‘You didn't even know I had a son that's playing football, and just because it was Cape Town City, now suddenly there's a problem.'
“Until they found out Emile was my son and he signed for Cape Town City, before that, there was never a problem with me and my loyalty to the club, or my input at training or on match days,” Ralani concluded.
