Bafana Bafana forward beats Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng and Mamelodi Sundowns duo Lucas Ribeiro & Khuliso Mudau to local award

Bafana Bafana forward Iqraam Rayners has been named the South African Football Journalists' Association (SAFJA) Footballer of the Year.

The Mamelodi Sundowns star has scooped the local award, beating his teammates Khuliso Mudau and Lucas Ribeiro as well as Orlando Pirates' Relebohile Mofokeng.

Sundowns' experienced defender, who is yet to feature for the PSL defending champions this season, Khuliso Mudau, was also a contestant.

SAFJA announced Rayners as the winner of the award on Tuesday.

In the ladies category, Sundowns Ladies' Boitumelo Rabale was named as the winner, beating Amogelang Motau, Lebohang Ramalepe, Ayesha Moosa, and Siphesihle Dlamini.

This is seen as a boost for Rayners, who lost the Golden Boot award to Ribeiro in their last game of the 2024/25 season against Magesi FC.

Ribeiro, the 2024/25 PSL Footballer of the Season, edged Rayners in the game by scoring twice to increase his league goal tally to 16.

Fast forward, and Rayners has had the last laugh over his competitors in the PSL, as he claimed the journalists' award.

Although Rayners' current focus is on Bafana's 2026 World Cup qualifiers, he must be deeply thinking about how he will fare in the new season.

With Ribeiro pushing for an exit from the Tshwane giants, this could be a blessing in disguise for Rayners because the competition at the club level will not be as stiff as it was last season.

What he needs to do now is to be as clinical as he was last season in order to compete again for the Golden Boot award and probably the Player of the Season trophy.

However, the re-emergence of the record breaker, Peter Shalulile, is expected to push him further, as coach Miguel Cardoso is only expected to field whoever between them is in good form.

Rayners is part of Hugo Broos' squad currently training ahead of their qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria.

Bafana, Group C's leaders, will face Lesotho on September 5 before a crunch showdown against the Super Eagles on September 9.