Stellenbosch forward Iqraam Rayners has become the first player to reach 50 goals for the club amid a prolific return to the Cape Winelands outfit.
Rayners, 27, returned to Stellies from SuperSport United in a surprise deadline-day switch in January after expressing his desire to secure first-team football.
With five assists and no goals in his 18 league appearances, three of which were starts, not much was said about SuperSport’s decision but it appears it’s been a masterstroke from head coach Steve Barker, who was originally after the signature of Thamsanqa Gabuza.
In his 11 appearances for Stellies since the mid-season return, he’s netted a staggering 15 goals with a further three assists across all competitions that’s propelled them from flirting with relegation back into the top-eight and the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.
This form has earned calls for Rayners to now be called-up up for the senior national team for the first time in his career, with Barker stating he perhaps missed out to face Liberia as the squad was named slightly to early since his return to the Western Cape.
The Santos academy graduate fired Stellies to DStv Premiership promotion in his first stint with an NFD Golden Boot before eventually leaving the club by signing a pre-contract with Matsatsansa after their debut top-flight season.
He departed with 35 goals to his name at the time and but after just two and a half seasons in Gauteng, he produced just five goals and 11 assists in 58 games, where he often found himself playing on the wing instead of his preferred central role.
