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The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Maluleke tips Mofokeng for 2024
'He has been scoring goals and assists in South African football,' Maluleke said. Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates celebrates goal during the Betway Premiership 2024/25 match against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on the 03 May 2025 © Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix Former Mamelodi Sundowns and Manning Rangers striker Ishmael Maluleke has thrown his support behind Orlando Pirates winger Relebohile Mofokeng as his pick for the 2024/25 PSL Footballer of the Season. Ribeiro is the favourite While Sundowns forward Lucas Ribeiro has emerged as the favourite, Maluleke believes Mofokeng's impact throughout the campaign puts him in with a shout for the coveted award. ALSO READ: Bafana goalscorer Kwayiba now wants 'big three' move Ribeiro finished the season as the league's top goalscorer with 16 goals in 26 appearances and chipped in with nine assists as the Brazilians clinched a record-extending eighth consecutive title. Despite Sundowns falling short in the Carling Knockout final, Ribeiro still made his mark, scoring once and providing three assists on the road to the decider. Maluleke, however, is convinced that Mofokeng deserves the top individual honour. The 20-year-old sensation established himself as a key figure in the Buccaneers' attack with a 13-goal contribution in the league, scoring five goals and eight assists. Mofokeng also played a crucial role in Pirates' MTN8 Cup triumph, scoring twice, including a goal in the final against Stellenbosch FC. He added two more assists in the tournament and impressed in the Nedbank Cup despite Pirates' defeat to Kaizer Chiefs in the final. The Footballer of the Season award is both nominated and voted for by the 16 Betway Premiership head coaches. Each coach is allowed one vote, though they cannot select a player from their own club. 'I think for me, it has to be Relebohile Mofokeng. He has been scoring goals and assists in South African football,' Maluleke said on Radio 2000. 'Again, he played well in the CAF Champions League and did well. So I think for me, I would go for him because he did well for Pirates but he also did well for Bafana Bafana.' Maluleke, who claimed the PSL Top Goalscorer award in the 2001/02 season with 18 goals for Manning Rangers, believes Mofokeng is ready for the European stage. 'This is the time for him to leave, if there was a better time for him to leave, this is it. He can leave now and work on whatever qualities he needs to improve on,' Maluleke said. Pirate's Mofokeng 'can do well' at Barcelona 'If he can find a better team like the rumours we've heard like Barcelona and all those kinds of things, he can do well because of the kind of calibre of a player that he is. The most important thing that will make sure that a striker will score goals is the conditioning of a player. ALSO READ: Bafana find their fire to blaze past Mozambique 'I think if he can focus on conditioning his body as well to make sure that it becomes one of the qualities that can make him withstand all the pressure. To become an overall player as well, he must not rely on being passed the ball but he must become an overall player who can also defend when the team needs him.'
IOL News
10-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Iqraam Rayners had fall to rise
MAN on form, Bafana Bafana striker Iqraam Rayners. | BackpagePix Image: BACKPAGEPIX Sometimes, it's important to take a step backwards, so that you can take two forward. I mean, just look at how Iqraam Rayners' life has transformed lately. When Rayners struggled to cut the mustard at SuperSport United between 2020 - 2023, that must have been a dark period in his career. No doubt! He had, after all, left the comfort of his hometown club Stellenbosch where he had scored a club record of 36 goals in 81 appearances hoping for greener pastures. But instead of making the most of that opportunity, he formed part of an ugly statistic - he became one of the Western Cape-born footballers who struggled to live up to the fast life of Gauteng. So, that must have stung for Rayners as he must have had mixed emotions, likely asking himself whether he'll ever be good enough to make it in the harbour of SA football. But as fate would have it, his decision to return to Stellies did him a world of good. He was able to re-instropect and work on himself again. As such, that didn't take him long either. He scored 15 and registered four assists in four months back at Stellies. An impactful contribution compared to his stint at SuperSport. 12 Goals 9 assists😮💨 Iqraam Rayners🙌🏽 what a signing — ShowmaxSport (@ShowmaxSport) May 7, 2025 Of course, it would be naive and dishonest to say that he did it all on his own. He had his teammates and technical team, which include coach Steve Barker, for support. In a league where players blossom for one season only to crumble in the next, Rayners wasn't expected to come anywhere near those numbers in a full season with Stellies. But boy, he made most of us eat humble pie. Rayners made a whopping contribution of 25 goals - 17 goals and eight assists - in 39 appearances across all competitions. As such, he lost the coveted PSL Footballer of the Season award to his now Mamelod Sundowns' teammate Ronwen Williams, and scooped the Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament gong. When the news circulated that he was scouted by Sundowns, there was no doubt about his readiness mentally and physically given all that he's been through. And felicitously, that has proven to be the case. The 29-year-old has been one of the standout performers for the Brazilians. He's played a key role in Sundowns strides both domestically and continentally as they are on the verge of history across all fronts Sundowns are on course to win their record eighth title in a row and second African crown as they are top of the Betway Premiership log and in the CAF Champions League final. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Rayners' numbers are staggering as he has a 28-goal contribution - 19 goals and nine assists - in 39 games across all competitions, with five games still to be played this season. His impact hasn't only been noteworthy at Sundowns, but at Bafana Bafana as well. Coach Hugo Broos is an admirer of Rayners, thanks to his speed and knack for goals. Of course, it would be a lie to say Rayners is not a man who has faults as he arrived at Sundowns on the back of a case for an assault incident which occurred in a night club in Stellies. But for all his flaws, it appears that Rayners is always the first one to look at himself in the mirror and work on his mistakes as there's been no such reported cases at Sundowns this season.
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sundowns' Ribeiro backed for top PSL award
'This is a team that always promotes the player but Lucas had moments where he helped the team a lot,' Cardoso said. Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has backed Lucas Ribeiro as the standout candidate for the PSL Footballer of the Season award. (Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix) Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has backed Lucas Ribeiro as the standout candidate for the PSL Footballer of the Season award. The Brazilian forward has been in outstanding form throughout the campaign and currently tops the Betway Premiership scoring chart with 13 goals. Coaches to decide The prestigious award is determined by votes from all top-flight head coaches, with each coach allowed a single vote. However, they are not permitted to vote for a player from their own team. ALSO READ: How unwavering family love fuels SA's rising star Rele Mofokeng When asked who he felt deserved to be named the new king of South African football, the Portuguese coach understandably picked Ribeiro for the coveted accolade. In doing this he follows Kaizer Chiefs' Gaston Sirino, who said the same this week about his friend at Amakhosi training. 'If we look at the beautiful goals that he (Ribeiro) has scored and the moments that he helped carry the team forward, obviously, this is a team that always promotes the player but Lucas had moments where he helped the team a lot,' Cardoso said. 'For me, I think he's the favourite candidate and I don't see anyone expressing such a level that Lucas has done for so long. Even in the previous year but you relate to this current season but Lucas was consistent even in the last year. 'Even this year, he has expressed things that are very difficult to see and that obviously has to do with the work that the team has done but also in his own capacity. I will be happy if he wins it because I think it's completely fair if he becomes the player of the season.' ALSO READ: Sundowns' Lebusa – We know what to do Sundowns and Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams is the reigning footballer of the season after winning the award last year.
