Latest news with #Rayners
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Rayners should have been nominated for Footballer of the Season
End of season awards are by their nature highly divisive and the announcement of the nominees for last season's best performers to compete for the top prizes in the PSL Awards was not going to avoid the storm. After the long wait, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) released their list of nominees on Tuesday and, as per script, the list has been met with strong and contrasting opinions from all quarters. The list is long but sharp focus is on the main categories of the Footballer and Betway Premiership Players' Player of the Season awards, where Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners is conspicuous by his absence. There are those who agree with the coaches and players who voted for not including Rayners in those categories but there are those, like me, who strongly argue he should have been shortlisted. Footballer of the Season is judged by Betway Premiership coaches and the Players' Player of the Season, as the title suggests, by fellow professionals. It is surprising many did not seen Rayners as worthy of a nomination for the top awards, to be announced on July 29. #𝐏𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝟐𝟓: Here are the three players nominated for the PSL Footballer of the Season award. — Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) July 15, 2025 Coaches and players have intimate knowledge of the league they take part in but there is nothing stopping supporters from disagreeing with the surprising choices they have made. Some will ask what the point is of this argument because Rayners has been pipped by teammate Lucas Ribeiro, Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United attacker Keletso Makgalwa for both categories. Nothing is going to change the situation but this is a good point of discussion and it would be interesting to find out from those who did not vote for him, what motivated their decisions. From where I am sitting, it does not look like coaches and fellow players who voted for Ribeiro, Mofokeng and Makgalwa looked closely at Rayners' impressive goal contribution numbers. 📆 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 The #𝐏𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝟐𝟓 ceremony will take place on Tuesday, 29 July, live on the SuperSport PSL channel and SABC Sport. — Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) July 15, 2025 Rayners contributed 14 goals and nine assists in 26 matches for the Brazilians on their way to their eighth successive Premiership title, which is significantly better than Mofokeng (five goals and eight assists in 26 games) and Makgalwa (four goals and 11 assists in 26 matches). Those who don't want to go with numbers, there is a strong footballing argument for Rayners that he was largely the front-line Sundowns attacker ahead of Peter Shalulile, Arthur Sales, Ribeiro (who usually played deeper) and Tashreeq Matthews. As part of coach Miguel Cardoso's attacking plan, he was sometimes used as a forward decoy and this allowed Ribeiro, Sales and Matthews to threaten opposition defenders. The Footballer of the Season award, too, is decided across all the PSL's competitions, while the Player's Player award is for the Premiership. So Rayners not making the cut in the former is even more strange. Rayners was instrumental in helping Downs reach the Carling Knockout final, where they lost 2-1 to Magesi FC in Bloemfontein, with a solid contribution of four goals in as many matches. Rayners — who also had Champions League and Bafana Bafana commitments, which is only relevant for this discussion in considering how it added to his workload — contributed 18 goals and nine assists after 33 matches in all PSL competitions. That is notably is more than both Mofokeng and Makgalwa, which seems the major factor in Rayner's ommission being so widely discussed. In my view, Ribeiro must be named the Footballer of the Season. He established himself as a significant cog in the Sundowns attack and his contribution of 17 goals and 12 assists from 34 matches in all competitions, often from a deeper role, sets him apart as the best player in the country last campaign. There is a strong case for exciting Mofokeng because he scored crucial goals for Pirates, sometimes in the high-profile matches, though he did lack consistency in front of goal. For someone who plays in an advancing attacking role as a winger, No 10 or striker, Mofokeng's return of only seven goals and 12 assists in 36 league and cup games is hardly world class. To be frank, Makgalwa's statistical return in cup competitions was poor and he did not set the league alight with four goals and 11 assists in 26 appearances for a team that did not even finish in the top three. His case could have been enhanced if he helped Sekhukhune to a top three finish but they were pipped to the Confederation Cup by Stellenbosch FC and also did not make it to a cup final. If you look closely at Rayners' goal contributions last season, they are better than Makgalwa and Mofokeng and it is disappointing that for some strange reason, some of the coaches and players were not impressed by his contribution. In my view, he was the second-best player in the league after Ribeiro because of the influence he had for coach Cardoso and the dominant Sundowns who won the league convincingly. He played a role in many of Ribeiro's goals, and vice versa. I have the respect for coaches and players, but I don't agree with them because Rayners was consistent and scored important goals for Sundowns and he deserved at least a nomination for his troubles.
The Hindu
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIFA Club World Cup: Dortmund holds off Sundowns to close in on knockouts
Borussia Dortmund held off a spirited comeback from South African champion Mamelodi Sundowns to secure a 4-3 victory on Saturday and move closer to the Club World Cup knockout stages. Dortmund was behind after 11 minutes at the TQL Stadium but rallied to win its second game in Group F and move top of the standings with four points, one more than Sundowns. Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, and Jobe Bellingham scored for the Bundesliga club, which also profited from an own goal. Lucas Ribeiro had given Sundowns the lead, while Iqraam Rayners and Lebo Mothiba scored in the second half as the side looked to rally from 4-1 down in a competitive game played in blazing hot conditions with a mid-day kickoff. Ribeiro burst through a static Dortmund defence, picking up the ball on the halfway line and gliding past two opponents to score a shock opener. But the lead lasted only five minutes before a calamitous error from Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who played a short pass to Nmecha, who had an easy tap-in for the equaliser. Dortmund went ahead after a slick set of one-two passes between Julian Brandt and Guirassy, who powered home with his head. Bellingham, in his second appearance for Dortmund, made it 3-1 on the stroke of halftime as Williams parried Brandt's cross straight at him, and he delayed shooting for a split second before wrong-footing the goalkeeper. Rayners struck the woodwork for Sundowns 10 minutes into the second half, but on the hour mark, Daniel Svensson's cross from the left took a wicked deflection off Sundowns' fullback Khuliso Mudau as Dortmund extended its lead. Two minutes later, the South African side pulled one back as Teboho Mokoena's free kick was floated to Rayners, who struck the foot of the post but did not waste the second opportunity off the rebound. Mothiba struck in the 90th minute as Sundowns stole away possession, and the substitute scored from close range, but the side could not find an equaliser.
Irish Independent
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Jobe Bellingham on target as Borussia Dortmund hold off Sundowns in seven-goal Club World Cup thriller
Dortmund were behind after 11 minutes at the TQL Stadium but rallied to win their second game in Group F and move top of the standings with four points, one more than Sundowns. Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy and Jobe Bellingham scored for the Bundesliga club who also profited from an own goal. Lucas Ribeiro had given Sundowns the lead while Iqraam Rayners and Lebo Mothiba scored in the second half as they looked to rally from 4-1 down in a competitive game played in blazing hot conditions with a mid-day kickoff. Ribeiro burst through a static Dortmund defence, picking up the ball on the halfway line and gliding past two opponents to score a shock opener. But the lead last only five minutes before a calamitous error from Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who played a short pass to Nmecha who had an easy tap-in for the equaliser. Dortmund went ahead after a slick set of one-two passes between Julian Brandt and Guirassy who powered home with his head. Bellingham, in his second appearance for Dortmund, made it 3-1 on the stroke of halftime as Williams parried Brandt's cross straight at him, and he delayed shooting for a split second before wrong-footing the goalkeeper. Rayners struck the woodwork for Sundowns 10 minutes into the second half but on the hour mark Daniel Svensson's cross from the left took a wicked deflection off Sundowns' fullback Khuliso Mudau as Dortmund extended their lead. Two minutes later, the South African side pulled one back as Teboho Mokoena's free kick was floated to Rayners, who struck the foot of the post but the rebound bounced back onto his head and he did not waste the second opportunity. Mothiba struck in the 90th minute as Sundowns stole away possession and the substitute scored from close range but they could not find an equaliser. Fluminense of Brazil, who drew 0-0 with Dortmund in their opening game, and Ulsan HD of South Korea, who lost 1-0 to Sundowns, meet later on Saturday in New Jersey.
Newsweek
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund: Live Stream FIFA Club World Cup, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mamelodi Sundowns will face off against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati in an exciting FIFA Club World Cup matchup. Niklas Sule of Borussia Dortmund passes the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group F match between Fluminense FC and Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium on June 17, 2025 in East Rutherford, United... Niklas Sule of Borussia Dortmund passes the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group F match between Fluminense FC and Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium on June 17, 2025 in East Rutherford, United States. More Photo by Heuler Andrey/EurasiaHow to Watch Mamelodi Sundowns vs Borussia Dortmund: Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025 Time: 12:00 PM ET Stream: DAZN (WATCH FOR FREE) The Sundowns enter the expanded 32-team tournament as underdogs, drawn from the bottom pot. You can never count them out; this is a team known for punching above its weight and playing with flair, grit, and the kind of confidence that makes them a threat against anyone. On the other side of the pitch, Dortmund enters the tournament as the third-highest ranked UEFA team over the past four years. With Julian Brandt pulling strings and Karim Adeyemi slicing through defenses, the Germans won't be shy about pushing forward early and often. But don't be surprised if Sundowns absorb the pressure and hit back with pace through Rayners and Costa. Can the Brazilians of Pretoria pull off a shock in Ohio? Or will Dortmund do what they've done to so many before, dominate possession and control the match from the jump? You can view this game with a subscription to DAZN, which can be upgraded to premium HD image quality without advertisements. Live stream every 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with DAZN: Start your subscription now! Club World Cup Potential Lineups Mamelodi Sundowns: Williams; Modiba, Cupido, Kekana, Mudau; Allende, Mokoena; Zwane, Sales, Costa; Rayners Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Svensson, Bensebaini, Anton, Sule; Ryerson, Gross, Nmecha; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
The Citizen
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
First half strike seals historic opening World Club Cup win for Masandawana
Mamelodi Sundowns defeated South Korea's Ulsan HD, securing a 1–0 victory in their opening FIFA Club World Cup match on June 18 at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, in the United States. The match was delayed by an hour due to unfavourable weather conditions, but despite the wait, Bafana Ba Style's hopes of winning their first match of the tournament became a reality. Masandawana got off to a great start, nearly opening the scoring through Arthur Sales, who struck a shot from a tight angle on the left flank, but the goalkeeper denied them an early opener. The opposition were quick to retaliate, but the shot taken right in front of the goal sailed over the bar. During the first half, the game was evenly balanced, with both teams trading chances without scoring. Iqraam Rayners squeezed himself into the box, but his shot rolled over a few inches wide. Two minutes later, he found the back of the net from a free-kick, only for the goal to be ruled out. No hat-trick, but Rayners still gets the job done for Mamelodi Sundowns 🫡 — 433 (@433) June 18, 2025 In the 36th minute, through a defence-splitting pass orchestrated by Lucas Ribeiro, Rayners found the ball and slotted it in, breaking the deadlock for his side. Sundowns were awarded a free-kick outside the area, following a foul by the visitors. Known for his deadly set-pieces, Tebogo Mokoena nearly doubled the lead before half-time, firing a strong shot, but the Ulsan goalkeeper dived in the right direction to keep his team in the match. In a tense moment before the break, Ronwen Williams came out to defend a ball that eventually went past him, but luckily, Divine Lunga was steadfast on the net to clear the danger away. The Brazilians went to the interval leading by a goal. The second half saw Ulsan dominating the ball and taking plenty of chances to find a goal that would level matters, but the Downs backline remained steadfast and denied them a goal. In the final 10 minutes, the match grew increasingly tense. Masandawana came close to scoring a second goal, but a lack of balance in front of the goal allowed Ulsan to clear. Ahead of the match, coach Miguel Cardoso highlighted the importance of performing against a range of strong international teams. 'I'm looking forward to seeing how we perform against an Asian team, as well as Dortmund and Fluminense. These are three different tests, and we have to make the most of them all,' Cardoso said. He emphasised the importance of self-belief and taking each game as it comes. 'Obviously, for us, it would be an incredible achievement to go through the group stage, but before we achieve that, we need to get points. So, we need to play a very complete match tomorrow.' Mamelodi Sundowns supporter Godwin Nyathi was full of praise for the team's commitment. 'Personally, what stood out for me is how the team conducted themselves. They showed passion and hunger. They were very determined from the first minute until the last minute of the game, and that is what we always want to see as the fans of Mamelodi Sundowns,' he said. Well done to our brothers!! 👏🎉 Let's keep making the Nation proud 🇿🇦👆#SundownsLadies #AfricaToTheWorld — Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Team (@SundownsLadies) June 18, 2025 Nyathi said he believes Sundowns have what it takes to go further in the World Cup as they started off to a great start, and people should expect a couple of surprises. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
