A handful of exciting young talents emerging out of Auchenhowie at least provides hope for a brighter future at Rangers, even if grey skies continue to hang overhead in the present.
Rangers entrusted Bailey Rice with a first-team role when letting Kieran Dowell join Birmingham City in January, thus opening up further opportunities for a player who made such an impression during 45 minutes at Old Trafford in the Europa League.
Rangers lost Zak Lovelace to Millwall in the winter, but Paul Nsio and Findlay Curtis are sticking around for the long-term.
Interim manager Barry Ferguson says Rice, Curtis and co will get chances if they are willing to fight for them.
Yet, while Rangers’ academy is churning out some pretty exciting talent right about now, Auchenhowie has a long way to go before it can reach the heights of La Masia.
Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images
Barcelona join Rangers in admiring Relebohile Mofokeng
Homegrown talent formed the backbone of Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering, two-time Champions League-winning Blaugrana outfit.
Some 15 years on, the mesmerising Lamine Yamal is threatening to drag Barcelona back to the summit of European football alongside the baby-faced genius of Gavi, Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez.
Rangers have been linked with South Africa wonderkid Relebohilo Mofokeng. But, according to more recent claims coming out of his homeland, Mofokeng is now on the radar of Barcelona too.
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Of course, the prospect of Mofokeng swapping a starring role at Orlando Pirates for a place in Barca’s B team has divided opinion. Though the wonderfully-named former South Africa international Doctor Khumalo is taking the stance that, if Barca can do what they did with Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal, then why not repeat the trick with another gifted young wideman?
“Let’s allow Rele to go,” Khumalo tells Afrik Foot. “Let’s not have fear. If Barca could take a young Messi out of Argentina and make him into the world superstar he became, why do we not trust them to do the same with Rele?
“On paper, we know Barcelona is a big team, but I don’t think those guys are going to throw him into the deep end. My reading of it is that they’ve spotted his potential, and they want him now so they can get him ready for the senior team in two years’ time.
“That’s what they did for Messi. All the top players at Barca, [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi and [Carles] Puyol come from the academy.”
Barcelona tipped to turn Mofokeng into the next Lamine Yamal
Scorer of eight goals this season and provider of 11 more, Rele Mofokeng has been likened to the aforementioned Andres Iniesta due to his penchant for drifting in off the left onto his favoured right boot, the opposite flank to which Messi and Yamal made their own.
Mofokeng is more of a winger than an Iniesta-esque playmaker, however. Comparisons have been drawn with Brazil legend Ronaldo too, thanks to the 20-year-old’s dazzling footwork and thumping ball-striking ability.
There is certainly a space at Rangers for a new left-sided winger. The increasingly-maligned Nedim Bajrami favours the number ten role, while Oscar Cortes’ injury issues are ongoing.
“They are going to make sure that this boy is exactly what Yamal is,” adds Khumalo. “He is not a big boy but he is able to take opponents on, and Rele can do that.
“We must let the players go if the opportunity comes because they are very rare. How can you say no to Barcelona?
“This could be a really historical moment for South African football.”