Rayners’s header seals tight quarterfinal clash at Loftus

Iqraam Rayners’ 69th-minute strike earned Mamelodi Sundowns a 1-0 win against Lamontville Golden Arrows on Tuesday night and a place in the Carling Knockout Cup semifinals.

As Arrows went out to impress new coach Mandla Ncikazi, who left Orlando Pirates as assistant to Abdeslam Ouaddou last week, the Kwazulu-Natal team made life difficult for the Brazilians at Loftus Versfeld.

Downs were playing the match in midweek, ahead of the weekend’s three other quarterfinals, because they contest the Caf Super Cup against USM Alger at Loftus on Sunday (3pm).

With one eye on that big match, where his team could lift their third trophy of the season to add to the MTN8 and African-Asian-Pacific Cup, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso rested some major performers. The Portuguese fielded some fringe players who have played an important role, stepping in when called on amid Downs’ frenetic schedule, including Ricardo Goss on goal, Malibongwe Khoza, Mothobi Mvala, Antonio van Wyk, Bathusi Aubaas, Sphelele Mkhulise and Arthur Sales.

The “back-up” combination took time to engineer the breakthrough against hard-working Arrows.

It came when Van Wyk cut inside from the left onto his right foot and shot from outside the box, Rayners getting the touch with his head past goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi.