Iqraam Rayners comes back to haunt Stellenbosch as Mamelodi Sundowns open gap between them and Orlando Pirates

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso debuted his Premier Soccer League with a 1-0 win over Stellenbosch.

Masandawana came into the match aiming to avenge the 2-0 aggregate loss in the MTN8 semi-final.

Iqraam Rayners needed 18 minutes to punish his former team after a good ball from Kobamelo Kodisang.

Unlike the initial meetings, the Brazilians dominated proceedings and could have easily scored the second moments before the break, but Lucas Ribeiro missed an empty net after beating Sage Stephens.

The second half was even more entertaining from either side, but none managed to get a goal.

The win means Sundowns are now on 24 points from nine games, three more than Orlando Pirates who have played a game less.

Uganda legend Denis Onyango has surely won another one-year extension with Sundowns.

The 39-year-old pulled three fantastic saves that denied unlucky Stellenbosch at least a point in front of their fans.

Orlando Pirates must have hoped that Stellenbosch would cause an upset by stopping Masandawana from getting maximum points.

The Buccaneers' only loss so far in the Premier Soccer League came against Stellies.

The Sea Robbers will now be under pressure to win their game against Marumo Gallants to ensure they remain close to Sundowns in their bid to cut their dominance in Mzansi.

The defending PSL champions will now have six days to prepare before playing AmaZulu on Christmas Eve. Usuthu recently made some changes to their technical team, with Dan Malesela taking a 'forced leave'.

Stellies' next assignment will be against SuperSport United on December 28. Coach Steve Barker will be hoping to get a positive outcome to end the year on a high.