Miguel Cardoso urges leniency over Ronwen Williams criticism

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has urged leniency over the criticism of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who has come under scrutiny from a section of the Masandawana faithful.

The 34-year-old shot-stopper has had a slow start to the 2026/27 campaign, frequently conceding goals at his near post, and has uncharacteristically only kept two clean sheets in seven matches across all competitions thus far.

His second shutout of the season was registered in the 2-0 win over newly promoted Milford FC in a midweek Betway Premiership clash in the capital, where he also scooped the man of the match award.

Cardoso, as a result, has called for the criticism of the Bafana international to be constructive and be relayed with caution, noting the player's previous exploits both on club and international level.

“I think any criticism on Ronwen Williams must be done with a lot of respect and very easy. We are speaking about a player whose career speaks for him,” said the Downs mentor.

"His awards speak for him, what he did last year in the final of the Champions League speaks for him, what he did for the country speaks for him.

"So, whatever is said about Ronwen must be said with a lot of caution because any moment people probably have to put whatever they say in the pocket. And today [vs Milford] Ronwen showed that he's a high-level qualified goalkeeper again.

The Portuguese tactician says some of the goals the reigning African champions have conceded this season were the consequence of individual errors, as he continued his defense of Williams.

“Also, when the teams are settling down, also the goalkeepers need to settle down,” added Cardoso, who guided the Brazilians to CAF Champions League glory last season, ending a decade-long drought.

"I said this already, no one probably made the right analysis on that, but some of the goals that we conceded on the way up until today came from individual mistakes and not even really team behaviour mistakes.

"What is important is the level of commitment that we have between all of us so that we can correct them, and that was the word that I already gave in the locker room, not only praise him [Williams] by the match he did.

Sundowns, meanwhile, swing back to action with a Betway Premiership tie against Golden Arrows at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday, with the two sides set for a third meeting in a space of two weeks.

Hlayisani Magoro

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Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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