Ronwen Williams defended after Fifa Club World Cup mistake against Borussia Dortmund - 'I wouldn't say it's the main cause of Mamelodi Sundowns not winning the game'

Former South Africa international Kyle Timm has defended Mamelodi Sundowns' goalkeeper Ronwen Williams after a blunder against Borussia Dortmund during a Fifa Club World Cup showdown.

Williams was at fault when his short pass was intercepted by Felix Nmecha, who scored, leaving him and his teammates disappointed.

However, Timm, an assistant coach at USL Championship side Lexington Sporting Club, has said the goalkeeper is not to blame for the loss suffered by Downs.

"Of course it has an effect on the outcome, but I wouldn't say it's the main cause of them not winning the game," Timm told KickOff.

"The reality is, after that it was 1-1, and they went down to 4-1; we're talking about one goal that put them to 1-1. Did it influence the game? Of course it did, but they (Sundowns) continued to play; it didn't affect the way they were playing because they still had a lot of possession," he added.

"It was unfortunate. These things happen; when you play this way, it's high risk, high reward. You can also get hurt when you play this way."

Timm also hailed how the Premier Soccer League giants recovered and fought back to the point of almost getting a draw.

"What I saw was a team that, regardless of the mistakes they made, still continued to play the same way, which I have a lot of time for; I have a lot of respect for that," Timm stated.

"A lot of times, a player, especially a goalkeeper, would make that type of mistake and be hesitant to continue playing passes from the back. They continued to play."

Masandawana conceded an unlikely equaliser during their matchday two action against the German side. Unlikely in the sense that it was one of their experienced players, Williams, who made a mistake that gave their rivals a chance to peg them back.

The Tshwane giants took a lead when Lucas Ribeiro scored a brilliant individual opening goal. After the equaliser, Dortmund went ahead to win 4-3, with the Brazilians showing grit and determination in the game.

This was Sundowns' first loss at the tournament after their opening win over Ulsan HD.

Given his profile in the team, the Bafana goalkeeper is expected to keep his position during their next game against Fluminense.

This is a high-stakes game that Sundowns must win if they are to advance to the knockout stage. Downs are third with three points, just behind Dortmund and Fluminense with four points.