Cardoso Praises Rayners’ Resilience And Adams’ Quality
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has lauded striker Iqraam Rayners for his perseverance and mental strength after overcoming a difficult spell to rediscover his scoring touch.
Rayners reminded everyone of his importance to the Brazilians when he netted a brace in their Betway Premiership clash against Sekhukhune United at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
The performance marked a significant turnaround for the 30-year-old, who had been sidelined for several matches in recent weeks.
“About Iqraam, we are happy for him because he had some difficult moments,” Cardoso said.
“But let’s hope we understand everything so that we will move in the right direction. We support him so much, and we believe in all our strikers.
“We are happy when players give their best so that they can perform well. We trust all of them, but there will be some moments for everybody in different games, and they need to be ready.”
The former Stellenbosch striker had only recently returned to action in Sundowns’ victory over AmaZulu FC last month, where he featured for 22 minutes but unfortunately did not score.
Despite missing several games, Rayners has now taken his tally to eight goals in the Betway Premiership this season, one behind top scorer Junior Dion, underlining his value in the club’s title pursuit.
While Rayners grabbed the headlines, midfielder Jayden Adams also delivered a stellar performance and has been in impressive form throughout the year.
The Portuguese tactician was full of admiration for the 24-year-old’s versatility and influence.
“Well, Jayden is a fantastic player, and there is no doubt about that,” Cardoso added.
“I feel privileged to work with such a group of players, and that speaks to the midfielders. We have quality players and even a person that I respect, Eric Tinkler, who also spoke about our quality.
“But despite having quality players, we can have a lot of problems because it’s very difficult to manage a locker room that has quality players.
“Today (on Sunday against Sekhukhune United), we also had quality players who were not even in the squad, like Bathusi Aubaas, Siphelele Mkhulise, and Miguel Reisinho.
“Jayden had some moments in the game, and there is no doubt that he is an extraordinary player. I think last season we were not fair about him because he is a player that can play all the positions in the midfield, and on Sunday he started as a number six.”
Sundowns will next return to Loftus Versfeld Stadium to face Golden Arrows on Wednesday, where Rayners and Adams will be eager to maintain their excellent form as the Brazilians continue fighting for the league title.
