Williams Breaks Silence On Losing Title To Pirates
Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams expressed disappointment at losing the 2025/26 Betway Premiership title to Orlando Pirates, but emphasized that winning the CAF Champions League crown secured the club’s ultimate prize of the season.
Sundowns missed out on a ninth consecutive league title after Pirates ended their dominance by winning the Premiership for the first time since 2012. However, the Brazilians ended a decade-long wait for continental glory by winning the CAF Champions League title.
Both Pirates and Sundowns were involved in a fierce title race throughout the 2025/26 season, but the Buccaneers ultimately emerged victorious in the league battle.
Williams said that while they were disappointed to lose the league title, they had accepted the outcome.
“Obviously, we were disappointed,” said Williams.
“But it wasn’t in our hands, and we prefer things to be in our hands so that we can control them, but it wasn’t to be. We accepted that once the final whistle went.
“We accepted it, and that’s when we said, ‘Guys, now it’s time to focus because we’ve got a big one,’ which was the following day, Sunday, the Champions League final. You could see the disappointment, but also the quick shift in focus from the players.
“That’s why I say there are mentality monsters in this team, just to change so quickly. Obviously, we knew the supporters weren’t happy, and we were not happy either, but we had to reset mentally, press the reset button, and focus again because we knew how important it was.
“You could see in the first leg the hunger, desire, and dedication we showed in our home game. That is the response of a team that had suffered defeat. We felt it because we are so used to winning, and we pride ourselves on winning every season and achieving the objectives we set for ourselves.
“The league title is gone, but the Champions League is here, and next season the league will be there again. We will keep fighting for it. But we had a massive opportunity in front of us, and that became the most important thing. Now it’s time to reflect and see where we got it wrong.”
Williams, who saved a penalty in the Champions League final, will now shift his focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the final squad set to be announced by Hugo Broos on Wednesday.
