Cardoso Stands by Williams, Emphasizes Support Over Criticism

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has come to the defense of his goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, following their loss to Borussia Dortmund in the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday.

Williams was at fault for Dortmund’s equalizing goal, as his attempt to pass the ball to his teammate, Teboho Mokoena, backfired, and Felix Nmecha scored on that mistake, with the German side ending up winning the game by 4-3. However, Cardoso believes that criticism is not the answer.

“Look, playing out of defence is our style, and today (on Saturday), we made a mistake in a build-up,” Cardoso said.

“Do you think I have the capacity to complain about this player? Football is a game of mistakes. I make mistakes when I choose players who have to play in a match.”

Cardoso emphasized that his role as a coach is to support his players, especially in high-pressure games like the one against Dortmund.

“I support my players, and I did that during half-time,” he said.

“Most of my talk was to support the players because how can I penalize a player like Teboho Mokoena who only has the intention of doing well?”

The Portuguese coach highlighted the importance of building trust with his players, even when mistakes happen.

“The pressure is too high in these types of games, and mistakes can happen, so I support the boys,” he said.

“In this club, there’s just support and training. How can I build trust if I don’t trust the players when there are mistakes?”

Despite the loss, Sundowns still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage, but they will need to beat the log leaders Fluminense by two goals or more on Wednesday at Hard Rock Stadium.

Fluminense went on top of Group F with four points after beating Ulsan HD 4-2, same with Dortmund, but the Brazilian side is on top of the log as they have a better goal difference. The Brazilians, on the other hand, have three points and a victory on Wednesday will see them knockout stages.