Not Iqraam Rayners! Miguel Cardoso names his Player of the Season favourite for record-breaking Mamelodi Sundowns - 'He has the numbers'

Mamelodi Sundowns beat Chippa United 3-0 on Wednesday in the Premier Soccer League game staged at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

Iqraam Rayners, Jayden Adams, and Thapelo Maseko scored for Masandawana to help them reach 57 goals, a new record in Mzansi.

Coach Miguel Cardoso is delighted with what has been achieved.

Have a look at what he said after the game.

The tactician explained how working as a team has helped the players.

"Yeah, today we spoke about brotherhood, and we spoke a lot about what’s written on our shirts, what is Ubuntu indeed," he said in a post-match interview.

"And those values that we have in the locker room are the ones that sustain us

“Then that comes from the heart, comes from the mind and this passes to football inside the pitch."

The former Esperance coach then lauded the entire management for what they have done to ensure the team delivers.

“I’m happy for the boys. I’m happy they are very ambitious, and happy that we built a strong family, because we are a very strong family where even the ones that are outside, they feel that spirit. We depend on all of them.

“We trust the board. We trust in the club, and most of all, we have a wonderful group of players that was built by our sports director, Mr. Flemming [Berg] with the support of the club and the President and the chairman, of course.

“So let’s keep in making everybody proud. Thank you very much," he continued.

“[Lucas Ribeiro] will probably be elected Player of the Season with the stats he has, the numbers he has this season are amazing, on goals and assists, and quality action, I think he’s a player that brings something different to the pitch,” he responded when asked about the Brazilian.

“I’m happy to have him, and [him on the bench] was literally a question of managing [his minutes] and I think now that people are choosing Player of the Season, makes him want to show something he doesn’t need to show. He’s shown already a lot of times that [form] will come naturally for sure," Cardoso added.

“If we see the goals he’s scored, the beautiful goals he scored, the moments he’s carried the team forward, it’s a team that promotes a player, but also Lucas had moments where he helped the team a lot,” he explained.

“For me, he is the favourite candidate, I don’t see anyone expressing the level as Lucas did for so long, and even in the previous year. 

“It’s important to say, we relate to this season, but he’s been consistent in the last years and he’s brought, expressed things very difficult to see, which has to do with the work of the team but also due to his own capacity. I will be very happy [if he wins] because it’s completely fair if he becomes the player of the season," he concluded.

On Sunday, Cardoso's men will play Stellenbosch in another PSL outing.

A win might be enough to see them clinch the title, depending on the result between challengers Orlando Pirates and Golden Arrows mid next week.