Iqraam Rayners should not be a standby player for Bafana Bafana ahead of Afcon this month as his goals warrant him a straight call

Iqraam Rayners’ number of goals are enough to have him part of the Bafana Bafana squad to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Rayners is not the type of player deserving to be on standby as he was put by Bafana coach Hugo Broos given that he has nine goals for Sundowns in all competitions.

But he should be part of the 25-man squad headed to Morocco for the Afcon.

This is the view of Mamelodi Sundowns legend Hlompo Kekana as Rayners was omitted from the main squad but made it as a standby player.

“Well, if I’m a football fan I was going to ask questions like Iqi Rayners with nine goals in all competitions, one would fancy him to be in that Bafana Bafana squad,” said Kekana on SABC tv.

“But we are talking about Mr Broos here a man who is not scared to make that call of selecting the players that he wants. Of course, Iqi Rayners for me I fancy him to be part of this team that is going to AFCON.

“I can’t say disappointment because he’s on standby. [But] with the numbers that he’s got in terms of the number of games that he’s already played in all competitions, nine goals, that’s huge compared to the strikers that he’s going to be competing with in that Bafana squad.

Bafana are in the sme group as Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe.