Sibongiseni Mthethwa and Iqraam Rayners were in action for South Africa on Wednesday evening as Bafana Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw by Namibia in their COSAFA Cup Group A encounter.

Mthethwa and Rayners were both introduced as second-half substitutes at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban as hosts South Africa were held to a draw by neighbours Namibia in their opening match of the 2023 COSAFA Cup.

The occasion came as a notable milestone in Rayners’ career as the 27-year-old striker made his long-awaited debut for the national team, crowning a remarkable season in which he also scored 15 goals in 14 appearances at club level.

Upon making his debut, he became the fifth Stellenbosch FC to represent South Africa at senior level, following in the footsteps of Athenkosi Mcaba, Jayden Adams, Antonio van Wyk and the aforementioned Mthethwa.

Mthethwa’s outing on Wednesday was his second in national team colours, with the defensive midfielder having previously represented Bafana Bafana in a 1-0 friendly win over Botswana in September last year.

The pair could both be in action again on Saturday, 8 July 2023 when South Africa take on Botswana in their second group stage encounter of this year’s competition.