Williams says Sundowns’ Super Cup defeat will ‘hurt for a very long time’

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams says the club’s 3-1 CAF Super Cup defeat by USM Alger will “hurt for a very long time” after another damaging night in continental football.

Sundowns were beaten by USMA at Loftus Stadium, a rare home humiliation for the club, just weeks after they were eliminated from the CAF Champions League as defending champions.

The latest loss deepened the disappointment among their supporters, with some calling for head coach Miguel Cardoso to leave following the final whistle.

Williams, visibly affected by the result, spoke to the media in the mixed zone at Loftus Stadium and said Sundowns had to assess what had happened during a difficult period before trying to recover their previous standards.

“Obviously, it’s tough. This one will hurt for a very long time,” the goalkeeper said.

The Bafana Bafana captain acknowledged the disappointment inside the squad and said the players would have to support each other during a long season.

“We’ve got to reflect as a team as to where we are and what we once were. We need to get back to that. As tough as it is, we need to pick ourselves up. It’s going to be a long season. We just need to be better as a team, (and) draw strength from one another and keep growing.”

Williams added that Sundowns had experienced both success and setbacks over the past few years, but insisted the team would continue despite the latest setback.

“A lot of good moments and a lot of tough moments, a lot of moments that hurt so much. This is one of them, but we will keep going. You can’t win them all, but it’s disappointing to lose at home. We have to regroup and keep going.”

Morena rejects doubts over Sundowns’ commitment

Thapelo Morena also described the defeat as painful, but rejected any suggestion that the players lacked motivation after Sundowns reached the height of their recent achievements by winning the Champions League last season.

Morena said the Super Cup had represented an opportunity for the team to respond to its recent disappointment, but USM Alger’s victory prevented them from doing so.

“It’s painful, and I don’t know how to put it because it’s something we wanted to redeem ourselves with. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. There’s no lack of desire. If it was our day, we could have taken it in the first half. It’s a very heavy one to take in,” he said.

Williams and Morena are both part of the Bafana Bafana squad due to face Kenya in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.