Cardoso: We Are Lucky To Have Williams
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has admitted that he feels it is special to have a goalkeeper like Ronwen Williams who can create goal-scoring opportunities for the club.
This after Williams’ quick thinking to spot Kutlwano Letlhaku out wide before the youngster cut inside to set up Iqraam Rayners to score the game’s only goal as the Brazilians managed to beat Raja Casablanca 1-0 in the CAF Champions League on Sunday, in what was the first match in charge for coach Miguel Cardoso.
“It’s very important to have this type of a goalkeeper,” Cardoso said.
“If the game starts in many moments like when we make the construction as much more you have from the goalkeeper, full-backs, and the players from the middle, there’s a lot you can get.
“Watching the pitch while you are on the goals is very important, and Ronwen indeed is capable of watching the full pitch.
“So, that also allows us to create the even variants that you can use. Sometimes if the opponent presses us high obviously some spaces are probably closed by the goalkeeper.”
Following that second assist, Williams flew to Morocco to collect two awards – CAF Inter-Club Player of the Year and CAF Goalkeeper of the Year at the CAF 2024 Awards.
Despite the Brazilians’ win on Sunday, the Portuguese tactician added that his team is far away from the level they want to achieve.
“I believe we are far away from the level we want to achieve because mostly we should be able to control the game with the ball and find spaces,” the former Espérance Sportive de Tunis coach said.
“But the commitment we had, it’s an energy that you can multiply when you win. So, it was important to multiply that energy and that commitment.
“I think it’s our days to believe in each other of which it’s something we have already. So, now let’s continue to work, let’s go to the game, recover, study it, and show it to everybody.
“The group [players] is big, we have a lot of people and all of them are committed as you saw the players from the bench celebrating. Even the players that were not in the matchday squad came inside the pitch to join everybody, and also the injured players did the same thing, I’m very happy about that.”
Sundowns will look to move three points clear at the top of the Betway Premiership table over Orlando Pirates at DHL Stadium on Wednesday (19:30).
