One of South Africa's most prestigious junior football tournaments will come of age this weekend while some of its more talented products strut their stuff on the world stage.
The 21st edition of the annual Metropolitan Premier Cup will start at the Bay Hill United club's home at Erica Park in Belhar today, with the final on Easter Monday.
Known throughout the game simply as the "Bayhill", the tournament - for Under-19 players - has been attracting budding soccer stars since its inception in 1989 when Matroosfontein beat St Johns 3-0 in the final.
Those days 16 local clubs fought it out for the R400 winners' prize money. Over the next six days 32 teams, including sides from Germany, England and Nigeria as well as the junior sides of Premier League clubs such as Ajax, Santos, Sundowns and Swallows, will be gunning for a top prize of R20 000. Also among the 32 will be local amateur sides such as Hanover Park, Ikapa Sporting and Baltic Rangers.
"The prize money is of secondary importance," said Roger Clayton, one of the organisers over the past 21 years. "The development of young players and the game itself is the most important thing for us."
And how Clayton has seen some of those youngsters reach for the stars and in some cases fulfil those boyhood dreams.
Besides the likes of Benni McCarthy and Matthew Booth, locals who went on the play at the top level, others include Nasief Morris, Bernard Parker and Steven Pienaar.
Parker was the tournament's top scorer in 2002 and has since clinched a contract overseas, and a couple of weeks ago scored for Bafana against Norway. Seven years ago Parker played for the Johannesburg-based School of Excellence, while Pienaar - now a regular in the English Premiership with Everton and close to 50 international caps - joined Ajax Cape Town from the School.
Another Ajax boy who became a man soon after Bayhill, was Stanton Lewis. The speedy striker helped Ajax to tournament victories in 2004 and 05 and soon after was signed by Ajax Amsterdam.
Ajax scooped the trophy again in 2008 but can expect huge opposition from overseas sides Arminia Bielefeld (Germany), South Nottingham College (England) and Nigeria's Magate FC.
And there is likely to be the usual fierce competition from local PSL rivals Santos, themselves winners in 1999 and 2000.
The current senior Santos squad contains three footballers who cut their teeth at Bayhill. Tasleem Paulse (20) has just started making waves in the PSL while teammates Wayne Arendse and Tyren Arendse have produced at top level. Tyren Arendse went all the way, winning three Bafana caps.
"It's not known as the Premier Cup for nothing," said Santos' operations officer Edries Burton. "It is the premier tournament in the country; it's an excellent platform that prepares players for the next level. The tournament has been a fast track for young footballers throughout the country."