Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners has dedicated his Betway Premiership Player of the Month award for November/December to his teammates and says it was all about a team effort.
On Tuesday, Rayners was named Player of the Month after narrowly edging strong competition from Relebohile Mofokeng and Hendrick Ekstein.
The former Stellenbosch FC forward has hit the ground running since he arrived at the Brazilians at the beginning of the season from Cape Town. Unlike many Capetonians who struggle up in the Reef, Rayners did not waste time settling down. He is now topping the PSL goal scorer’s charts with six goals in the league. He is followed by his teammate Lucas Costa Ribeiro who is on five goals. Rayners has also cemented his place in the Bafana Bafana team that is coached by Hugo Broos.
“It’s always good to win individual awards but it is not about me, it’s about team effort, my teammates are helping me, and I am happy,” said Rayners after winning the accolade.
“It was a good month, we travelled a lot, played a lot of games but we kept focused. I was happy, I was in a good space and most importantly, the team is happy. Travelling makes you tired, but we pushed through that. And for me, its’ about getting rest and the team physios always insist that we rest properly and also get enough sleep,” he added.
Sundowns will face Morocco’s FAR Rabat at the Loftus Stadium on Sunday in a do or die affair if they want to qualify for the Caf Champions League quarterfinals. A draw or win will propel Downs to the last 16 while a loss may open the door for third-placed Raja Casablanca.
“They (Rabat) will come with a lot of confidence, and they will make it difficult for us – but we just have to be patient, be ourselves and make sure we win the game.
“I just think they will sit back because they want to finish top in the group. For us to finish top in the group, we need to push our ourselves, score goals and win the match. Our fans must also come out in big numbers, and we will make them very proud. Please come and make Loftus yellow on the day of the game,” he added.
