Iqraam Rayners ended South Africa’s six-match wait for a goal from a recognised striker by scoring in Bafana Bafana’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Eritrea on 30 September.
The forward struck South Africa’s fourth goal on 63 minutes, adding to a brace from Relebohile Mofokeng and a goal by Yaya Sithole. Luther Singh completed the win with a late stoppage-time effort.
The result keeps Bafana Bafana top of their 2027 AFCON qualifier group and may temporarily ease concerns over the team’s lack of goals from its forwards.
Questions over who should lead the attack had intensified before the match, particularly with Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa unavailable. Rayners and Yanela Mbuthuma were the remaining options, although neither had established a consistent scoring record for the national team.
Pitso Mosimane appeared to find an answer in Cairo, where South Africa secured a comprehensive victory against Eritrea. ESPN Africa was among the publications to highlight what had been described as Bafana Bafana’s striker problems.
Rayners’ goal brought an end to a sequence in which South Africa’s scoring had largely come from other areas of the team.
Before the Eritrea match, defenders Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini scored in the 2-1 victory over Guinea. Further back, winger Thapelo Maseko scored the goal that secured the historic World Cup win against South Korea.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena was on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic a week earlier.
The previous occasion on which a striker had scored for South Africa was the friendly against Jamaica in June 2026. That match ended 1-1, with Lyle Foster’s goal cancelled out by Dwayne Atkinson in stoppage time, according to SAFA.
Mosimane has been open about the inexperience in the attacking positions and the limited number of strikers available to him. However, Bafana Bafana have continued to collect positive results despite those concerns.
Rayners’ contribution against Eritrea could therefore quieten the debate surrounding South Africa’s forward options, at least for now.
