Williams Reflects On Super Cup Loss: ‘It’s Going To Hurt For A Long Time’
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has admitted that the pain of losing the CAF Super Cup to USM Alger cuts deep, insisting the disappointment will linger for a long time.
Sundowns’ early-season struggles reached a new low on Sunday after a 3-1 defeat to Algerian side USM Alger at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The loss comes just weeks after the Brazilians suffered an unexpected exit from the CAF Champions League, falling to Angolan side Wiliete SC in the second preliminary round on away goals.
Early Injuries and Deficit Punish Host Side
Williams, who was rushed back from an injury to start the match, conceded three goals in the defeat, including a long-range effort from the edge of the box late in the game.
The Sundowns skipper highlighted how sudden pre-match and early-game injuries disrupted their tactical preparation:
“It is tough, and it is going to hurt for a very long time,” said Williams.
“We prepared certain players to play the game. Nuno Santos was ruled out during the warm-up, while Brayan León went off in the early stages of the game. However, the guys who came in did their best. Iqraam Rayners scored the goal for us, and that’s why we have a team.
“It is disappointing, and it hurts. We have to reflect. As a team, if we want to be where we aspire to be, we have to get back to that level. As tough as it is, we need to pick ourselves up and fight together. It is going to be a long season.
“We just need to be better as a team, draw strength from one another and keep going. I mean, this team has been through so much over the years, experiencing plenty of good moments, bad moments, difficult periods and moments that have hurt deeply.
“This is one of them. But we will keep going. We can’t win them all, but it is disappointing. We just have to regroup and move forward.”
Despite the setback, Williams emphasized that Masandawana have overcome continental heartbreaks before. Prior to winning the Champions League, Sundowns suffered semi-final exits in 2022/23 and 2023/24, alongside a defeat in the 2024/25 final.
‘We Will Rise Again’: Williams Urges Unity Among Masandawana Faithful
Williams called on the players and supporters to remain unified as the club navigates this challenging period:
“You learn from it; you can only learn from these moments,” said Williams.
“We have experienced so much over the last few years that we need to learn from, including reaching the Champions League semi-finals in successive seasons, getting knocked out of the competition and losing the Champions League final two years ago. There is a lot to reflect on, and it hurts.
“These are the things you work so hard for. You prepare, sacrifice so much, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.
“As I said, we need to dig deep, and that is what we have always done. We will rise again and keep going because Sundowns are a massive club. These are difficult setbacks, but they need to become stepping stones towards greater things.
“We also need to congratulate our opponents. They came with a plan, were aggressive from the start and made life very difficult for us.
“We just have to keep going, continue working hard and stick together. We need each other during these moments, every single one of us.
He concluded with a message of gratitude and a rallying cry for the supporters:
“There is no point in pointing fingers now because that is not going to help anyone.
“I would urge Masandawana, as tough as it is, to stick together, stand by the boys and continue supporting us because they have been amazing.
“We feel bad for them because they continued supporting us even on Sunday, in the rain, singing non-stop. They deserve more, and we will keep going.”
