BACK in his native South Africa, Tokelo Rantie is known as the new Benni McCarthy. But in England? Well, he's mainly known as Tokelo Who.
When Bournemouth signed the 22-year-old South African for an eye-watering £2m from Malmo in August, the response was a collective gasp of surprise.
An unknown South African from the Swedish league? For a couple of million quid? It was easily the most left-field signing of the entire transfer window.
Yet according to Farouk Khan, the man who coached Rantie from raw teenager to powerhouse striker, the Cherries have bagged a bargain.
Rough
“I think we've only seen glimpses of Tokelo,” said Khan. “I believe he's going to be a striker par excellence.
“He may have a few rough edges, he may still miss some chances that he should score. But he's only 22. His pace, control and finishing is a clear indication that he has the potential to grow into one of the best strikers our country has ever produced.”
Khan is head coach at the Stars of Africa academy, a South African version of the now defunct Lilleshall or France's renowned Clairefontaine academy.
“It is a great place,” says Rantie, who was born in the provincial town of Parys and discovered playing for bizarrely-named regional side Dangerous Darkies.
“They go looking for talent. They go all over South Africa to scout for young players who have not been noticed. Then they take them to the academy and teach them more. It now has players in Sweden, Holland, Belgium. I am thankful they found me.”
Not that the road to Goldsands has been simple. A stint in the Mozambique Premier League led to Rantie being spotted by Helsingborgs coach Bo Nilsson, who, having exceeded his quota of foreign players, recommended him to Swedish minnows IFK Hassleholm.
After plundering ten goals in 12 games, he was snapped up by South African giants Orlando Pirates, playing alongside his idol McCarthy and winning the first of his 12 caps for South Africa.
For Rantie, playing for the Pirates was a dream come true. “It took a while to sink in,” he says. “In fact, I only believed it was real when the kit manager handed over my travelling and training kit.
“I was sharing the same dressing room, rubbing shoulders and calling a superstar like Benni, whom I still admire, my team-mate. I was very humbled by this experience.
“Benni has always been my role model. He is a great guy and was an inspiration to the youngsters in the team. I learnt a lot from him at training, and even when he was playing.”
Not that he took much notice of the pundits who labelled him the successor to McCarthy, the former Ajax, Porto and Blackburn striker who scored 32 goals in 79 games for the national side.
Tag
“It was good that people were saying I was like Benni, but it was just words,” he adds. “I had to prove to them that I could do it. It was all up to me. Benni is South Africa's greatest achiever in football so I have a long way to go yet.”
Given the enormous expectations in his homeland, it is perhaps no surprise that he wears the tag of being Bournemouth's record signing lightly.
“No, that doesn't bother me at all,” insists Rantie, who made his Cherries debut in the 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough.
“I don't even know how much it was to start off with, so it doesn't concern me. I am here to play football, not to worry about how much I am worth.
“If you do that, it only puts pressure on yourself. Only God can decide what will happen but I think I will do well. I believe that I can.”
In truth, the ignorance is mutual. Before Bournemouth's bid, Rantie had never heard of the club from Dorset.
“No, not at all,” he says. “I didn't know anything about them until the bid. That was on the Tuesday, and I came here on the Wednesday.
“But it is wonderful to be here. All players dream of playing in Europe, especially when you come from Africa. In Europe, everything is better – from the facilities and pitches to pretty much everything you can think of.
“And I'm settling in OK. I can't complain. The football is much more physical than where I come from, much more advanced. The tempo of the game is totally different. But it's a great thing for me. I like it quick.”
And typical of his bullish self-belief, Rantie is convinced he can help the Cherries reach the Premier League – and soon.
“I believe that, yes,” he says. “The coach is ambitious, the club is ambitious, the players are ambitious.
“I believe we can go up to the next level. I don't see anything that can stop us from reaching our goal. And I think we can do it within three years.”
