Mamelodi Sundowns' Iqraam Rayners responds after he was overlooked for PSL Footballer of the Season award - 'I was disappointed when I saw the players that were nominated'

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Iqraam Rayners has revealed he was left disappointed after he was not nominated for the Premier Soccer League Footballer of the Season award.

The Bafana Bafana star was arguably one of the outstanding players in the league in the 2024/25 season, but he was not put forward to vie for the season-end top award.

“Obviously I’m a bit disappointed because of what I did last season - I had a good season with a good team and good players that were helping me,” Rayners told Pitchside Podcast.

“And obviously the coaches who believed in me. So, for me, I was disappointed when I saw the players that were nominated," he added.

“Don’t you think also, [if you look at] my stats from last season, I think it was good to be in a lot of nominations.”

However, Rayners picked his club teammate, Lucas Ribeiro, as the one who deserves the Footballer of the Season award.

“For me, the best player in the league was Lucas, obviously,” the forward suggested.

“I think I’m second after Lucas. For me, my stats were the second-best. So obviously I was disappointed.”

Rayners had an outstanding debut PSL campaign with Sundowns, as he ended up scoring 24 goals and registering nine assists across all competitions.

In the league, he scored 14 goals and gave Ribeiro a run for his money in the race to win the Golden Boot award.

In the end, Rayners was only nominated as a contestant in the Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament category.

His season's output could not even give him a chance to vie for the Players' Player of the Season award, as he was overlooked in this critical category too.

In the 2025/26 season, Rayners is expected to shine even more for Masandawana, as he would have gelled well with his teammates, having spent more time with them.

The Tshwane giants expect him to be as lethal as he was last season, as the PSL giants hope to extend their success beyond the PSL to the CAF Champions League and even the Nedbank Cup.