From humble beginnings at Santos to a leading striker for the national team, it has been quite a journey for Iqraaam Rayners, writes Mogamad Allie.

Iqraam Rayners highlighted his supremacy when he calmly stroked the ball into the back of the net to open the scoring for Bafana Bafana in their 3–0 victory over South Sudan in their African Cup of Nations qualifier in front of 40 000 fans at the Cape Town Stadium on November 19.

It was the 29 year old striker’s fourth goal in 10 appearances for the full Bafana side since being called up for the friendlies against Andorra and Algeria in March.

Rayners duly celebrated his maiden call-up by scoring Bafana’s third in a creditable 3–3 draw against the Desert Foxes in Algiers on 26 March 2024.

Since then the Mamelodi Sundowns striker has featured in every one of Hugo Broos’ selections as the team capped a successful year by not only comfortably qualifying for the 2025 Nations Cup but also finding themselves in a good position to qualify for the next year’s World Cup.

The striker’s rejuvenation is a far cry from the trough in which he found himself in January 2023 when he was offloaded by SuperSport United following an unproductive two-anda-half season spell with the Pretoriabased side.

Rayners was signed on a pre-contract by Matsatsantsa after winning the National First Division’s Golden Boot with 19 goals which helped Stellies clinch promotion at the end of the 2018–19 season.

But in a rather underwhelming spell in Gauteng, he only managed to ripple the net five times in 58 league and cup appearances for the club.

In mitigation, Rayners was played in wide positions by coaches Kaitano Tembo and Gavin Hunt instead of leading the attack which has proven to be the position where he is best deployed.

Despite his meagre returns Rayners insists he does not regard his Matsatsantsa spell as unsuccessful.

“Even though people said I struggled at SuperSport I feel didn’t – I was just not playing as a number nine or the coach wanted me to play in different roles,” he told the Sundowns website.

“I was surprised by the move away from SuperSport because Stan Matthews [the club’s CEO] liked me and wanted to keep me. I enjoyed the environment, everything was good at the club, the players from Cape Town always had a nice bond so for me it was a good feeling playing for a team like SuperSport.

“I wanted to stay at SuperSport because I had two seasons left on my contract but the technical team wanted to bring other players in so I had to make space for the ones they wanted. When I left I was a bit sad but I also had in my mindset that when I go to Stellenbosch I must work hard, push to get as many goals as I can in my first season and from there I will start building my confidence again.”

He certainly manifested that aim by netting no fewer than 16 goals in 28 league and cup appearances for Steve Barker’s side after his return during the January 2023 transfer window. Displaying remarkable consistency, Rayners delivered again the following season by netting 15 more goals in the league to finish runner-up to Orlando Pirates’ Tshegofatso Mabasa (16) in the race for the Golden Boot.

Rayners made a late run for the accolade when he monopolised the scoring in Stellies’ 5-0 victory over a hapless Polokwane City on 27 April 2024.

Four of his goals came in a remarkable 17-minute second-half spell as he equalled the PSL record set by Moroka Swallows’ James Chamanga.

The Zambia international netted all but one of his team’s goals in a 6–2 victory over Platinum Stars on 9 December 2007.

It is a small wonder that at the start of this season big-spending Mamelodi Sundowns triggered Rayners’ buyout clause which was said to be in excess of R10 million.

The striker had been coveted by several clubs both inside and outside South Africa with Saudi Arabian club Abha, also among his suitors when Pitso Mosimane was at the helm in January.

His legacy at Stellenbosch includes being the club’s all-time record goalscorer after netting 68 times in 135 appearances across two spells as well as winning the Footballer of the Year, Fans’ Player of the Season and Golden Boot awards at the end of last season.

The move to the Brazilians represents the culmination of an ambition to play for one of the country’s top clubs. Even after leaving Matsatsantsa two years ago, Rayners kept his apartment which is located close to the Sundowns headquarters in Chloorkop.

“When I left SuperSport I always told myself I want to come back to Gauteng to play for a big team,” he said.

“For me the motivation this season is to compete and play as many games as I can so it’s always nice to have competition for places. A team like Sundowns always plays many games so I’m happy to be a Masandawana. I want to score as many goals as I can and help the team win trophies this season.”

Former Santos and BidVest Wits coach Boebie Solomons is not surprised by Rayners’ growth and success since his early days as part of the Santos team that was campaigning in the National First Division at the time.

“During my time with Stellenbosch I could see he was determined to succeed,” said Solomons who served as the club’s technical consultant between 2020–2023.

“He was focused, was always serious in training and taking advice. He always had the talent but also has the important element of discipline, commitment and a clear vision of what he wants from his career.

“I think moving to Sundowns will be good for his career because he will get more recognition, have the support of top players around him which will allow him to give expression to his ability to find the back of the net.”

Stellies coach Steve Barker who has managed to unlock the striker’s killer instinct in front of goal believes there’s more to come from his former striker.

“I believe people underestimate his goalscoring record and his knack for scoring goals, his awareness in and around the box, and his decisionmaking,” the Stellies coach told the club’s website.

“When he gets chances, he inevitably converts. He has shown for us since his NFD days and now in the PSL, he scores in almost every other game.”

Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi is placing lots of responsibility on Rayners’ shoulders by revealing that the club signed the striker to boost their chances of winning the African Champions League for the first time since 2016.

“We are happy to have him because he will add something to the club. I am looking at him more for the Champions League than the PSL. In as much as he will help us in the PSL, I think in the Champions League is where he will really give us something,” the Sundowns coach told the media after the MTN8 game against Polokwane City in August 2024.

Rayners has got off to a rollicking start for his new club having already netted eight goals in his first 11 league and cup appearances for the perennial PSL champions.

If his bright start is anything to go by, the striker is on course to continue his prolific goalscoring form that made him a scourge of opposition defences over the past few seasons.