Pitso Mosimane talks about the offer Iqraam Rayners received from Saudi Arabia! | OneFootball

Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach reveals some secrets.

Pitso Mosimane talks about the offer Iqraam Rayners received from Saudi Arabia!

Pitso Mosimane has reflected on the missed opportunity that saw Iqraam Rayners’ potential move to Saudi Arabia fall through during his tenure at Abha Club. The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach, who led the Saudi Pro League side in the first half of 2024, was keen on recruiting the South African forward before his eventual transfer to Sundowns in August of that year.

Advocating for the Gulf region as a viable career path for South African talents, Mosimane pointed to current examples such as Mohau Nkota at Al Ettifaq and Elias Mokwana, on loan at Al Hazem—both of whom earned places in Hugo Broos’ 2025 AFCON squad, unlike Rayners, who was omitted from the preliminary selection.

“Ngolo Kante is playing there, Cristiano Ronaldo, we can go on and on and name many players who play in the Gulf. Now, we have players in Saudi and then you can remember what I said that we have a Saudi product,” Mosimane remarked, highlighting the league's growing stature.

He then revisited his attempt to sign Rayners directly from Stellenbosch FC. “When I was in Saudi, I did everything I could to get South African players on board. There was a chance to bring Iqraam Rayners when he was at Stellenbosch. I believed that he could crack the market.”

However, the deal collapsed at a late stage due to circumstances beyond his control. “Also, Stellenbosch are a very progressive team in terms of giving opportunities to players, but the challenge was that we couldn’t do it at the last minute because they couldn’t find a replacement and I understood. They didn’t have strikers. Yeah, it was an opportunity lost for both him and myself also to bring a South African on board.”

Despite this setback, Mosimane remains convinced that the door is still open for South African players to make the move. “But I don’t think it should end there, South African players can still go to the Gulf. The challenge is that it’s not easy.”

He concluded by suggesting local clubs look to Orlando Pirates as a model for successful player transitions. “I think we should ask Orlando Pirates how they do it right and probably many teams can follow because they are doing well now.”