Iqraam Rayners fired Mamelodi Sundowns into Carling Knockout Cup semi-finals.

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Mamelodi Sundowns became the first team to qualify for the Carling Knockout Cup semi-final after beating Golden Arrows 1-0 in their quarter-final clash at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night.

Iqraam Rayners scored the only goal of the match, heading home Antonio Van Wyk’s cross with 20 minutes remaining. The goal not only secured their passage to the next round but also eased some of the pressure on coach Miguel Cardoso.

The Portuguese-born coach has been under pressure to deliver with every passing game and tournament, despite continuing to receive the backing of the club. This comes after Sundowns failed to qualify for the CAF Champions League group stage and continue their title defence.

One aspect of Cardoso’s approach worth commending is his continued trust in the entire squad, having rotated his players over the last few matches.

While Cardoso has continued to back Brayan Leon despite the striker's recent goal drought, it is Rayners who appears to be benefiting from the opportunity to rediscover his form following a sluggish start to the season.

The Bafana Bafana international has scored four goals in his last four matches across all competitions. He will take a significant confidence boost into the national team camp if he makes the final squad for Bafana Bafana’s back-to-back 2027 Afcon qualifiers against co-hosts Kenya this month.

Before that, however, Rayners and his Sundowns teammates will be eager to win the CAF Super Cup against USM Alger on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld. They head into the encounter with a strong recent record in cup finals, having won their last three, including the Fifa Intercontinental Cup and MTN8 Cup.