Stellenbosch veteran goalkeeper and captain Lee Langeveldt tweeted on Sunday evening that “All he needed was some love” in reference to in-form hitman Iqraam Rayners.
Since returning to the Winelands from SuperSport United on deadline day of the January transfer window, Rayners has been making it rain goals for Stellies.
The striker was a serious problem once again, scoring a brace in the historic 6-3 victory against TS Galaxy in the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup on Sunday afternoon
All he needed was some love❤️ https://t.co/qxqgjKHKpk
— Lee Langeveldt (@LeeLangeveldt) March 12, 2023
Rayners has been gevaarlik since coming back home from Tshwane, and would without question have a real shout for the best player in the Premier Soccer League currently.
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— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) February 13, 2023
Iqraam Rayners has scored three goals and picked up an assist in just two matches since returning to Stellenbosch 🔥#StellenboschFC #ProudlyStellenbosch #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/3r8HoyOMUm
On goalscoring alone, the only other people who’ve been scoring as regularly as the Stellies striker have been Orlando Pirates fan-favourite Monnapule Saleng and Namibian hitman Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns.
All three players have also been influential to their team’s form, so I guess it would depend who would be voting to determine who’s impact was more valuable for their teams at the moment.
Rayners has scored eight goals in the five matches he has been involved in since answering coach Steve Barker’s call to come back.
However, if the votes were based on buzz and media frenzy, Saleng would be miles ahead of both Rayners and Shalulile if we were to be putting their names forward for the month’s best player in the PSL.
Saleng failed to show up in the 1-0 defeat against Sundowns at the start of last month but bounced back to open the scoring and provide the assist in the 2-1 win over Maritzburg United at Orlando.
His goal was a classic move Dutch great Arjen Robben would be proud of, cutting inside from the right and beating the goalkeeper with a strike to the far corner from outside the box.
He followed that up with another headline-grabbing performance in the Nedbank Cup, scoring again with Lorch scoring the second in the 2-0 win against All Stars in the last 32 and won the man of the match award in that match too.
He was, however, again nowhere to be found in another more high profile match, which was the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs where Pirates lost 1-0 again.
Shalulile has played most of his matches in February in the CAF Champions League, where he scored against Al Ahly in Sundowns’ 2-2 draw in Cairo.
He brought his goal scoring form to his only domestic match in the month of February, bagging a brace against Richards Bay where they won 3-2 in the last 32.
His hattrick against Marumo Galants in the last 16 was two days into March, so maybe he misses out on a technicality for now.
Well done to Andre de Jong and Iqraam Rayners who have been named in the Nedbank Cup Team of the Round 👏#StellenboschFC #ProudlyStellenbosch 🍇 #WeAreOne #NedbankCup https://t.co/tcDt5ZIniX
— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) March 14, 2023
However, from what we’ve already seen so far, he has already given us a note for next month’s best player conversation.
In Rayners’case, South Africa gets to see why SuperSport came for him after his first season in the top flight.
Things might have not worked out in Tshwane for the aggressive attacker, but it’s been as if he has never left, helping Stellies out of relegation trouble and contention in the cup in February.
It started with a brace in the 2-1 win against Richards Bay, followed by another two goals against Swallows as they ran away 3-0 victors in that last 16 cup clash.
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— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) February 9, 2023
Throwback to Iqraam Rayners' match-winning return for the Maroons last weekend.#StellenboschFC #ProudlyStellenbosch 🍇 #WeAreOne #DStvPrempic.twitter.com/2xP4MZ4vlm
He scored another goal against Chippa United where the team won 2-1 before his uncontainable performance scoring another two goals and providing two assists in the high scoring 6-3 spectacle against Galaxy in the last 16.
He can really count himself very unlucky not to get a call up for the recently-announced Bafana Bafana preliminary squad for now.
There’s no reason he shouldn’t be considered for some of the low-key matches this year to give the national selectors some ideas in their search for a regular goalscorer for the senior national team.
AmaZulu are next on their agenda, on Friday evening at the DC (Danie Craven Stadium).