Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso backs Ronwen Williams with bold statement - 'His best performances come in moments of...'

Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has backed Ronwen Williams, pointing to the Bafana Bafana captain’s wealth of experience and success at the highest level.

Williams had come under some scrutiny after a few shaky moments between the sticks, but he responded with a strong display in the midweek victory.

Speaking after the final whistle, Cardoso praised his goalkeeper’s ability to deliver his best when the pressure is highest.

"I think any criticism on Ronwen Williams must be done with a lot of respect and very easy when speaking about a player whose career speaks for him, his awards speak for him, what he did in the CAF Champions League final speaks for him," Cardoso said, as per iDiski Times.

"What he did for the country speaks for him, so whatever is said about Ronwen should be spoken with a lot of caution, with a lot of care, because any moment, people need to put in the pocket what they have to say."

The Sundowns mentor was impressed by how Williams handled the Milford clash, stressing that his influence extended well beyond his work between the posts.

Cardoso pointed out that the defensive structure is a collective effort, and individual errors should not overshadow the broader technical plan.

He noted that as the team finds its rhythm, the individual performances of key figures like Williams will naturally become more consistent and reflect their true capabilities as leaders on the field.

"Today Ronwen, again, showed he is a high-level, qualified goalkeeper and also when the teams are settling down, goalkeepers settle down, so some of the… I said that already, not many made the right analysis about that," he added.

"Some of the goals scored up until today came from individual mistakes and not team behaviour mistakes, and what is important is the level of commitment that we have between all of us, so that we can correct them."

The Portuguese coach also praised his captain’s all-round contribution and mental strength.

"That was a word I gave in the locker room, not only praising him on the match that he did, completely valid to receive the Man of the Match, because he had some quality interventions, not only how he defended, and how he helped the team throughout the match,' Cardoso continued.

"He helped us play from the back, without pressure, so many beautiful things. Ronwen knows the support he has from the coach, and he is strong in dealing with pressure, and usually his best performances come in moments of higher pressure.”

The coach clearly believes that the more intense the scrutiny, the better Williams performs, a trait that has served Sundowns well during their dominance of the local game and their adventures on the continent.

Cardoso also referenced last season’s CAF Champions League final as a clear example of Williams’ ability to perform on the biggest stage. His composure in high-pressure matches remains one of the qualities that makes him such an important player for the Chloorkop outfit.

"Last year, before the Champions League final, there was criticism, and he appeared in the level and saved a penalty that put us to have the capacity of the second star on the shirt," Cardoso concluded.