Johnson backs Sundowns to risk Williams and Mokoena in Super Cup final

Former Al Ahly assistant coach Cavin Johnson says Mamelodi Sundowns should select Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena if both players are fit enough to feature in Sunday’s 2026 CAF Super Cup final against USM Alger.

The Sundowns pair remain major injury concerns ahead of the match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, where the club will be aiming to win the continental Super Cup for a second time.

Mokoena is a key figure in the Sundowns midfield, while Williams is the reigning Bafana Bafana captain. Their continued absence has complicated preparations for Miguel Cardoso’s side before one of the biggest matches of the season.

Both players have also been named in Pitso Mosimane’s latest 27-man Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya.

Mosimane said he had included the injured duo while giving the team’s “key leaders” the “benefit of the doubt”. He added that final decisions would be based on assessments by Sundowns’ medical staff after Sunday’s final.

Johnson believes the club and national team medical teams will have to work closely together to manage the situation.

“Sundowns have a very good medical team that can get these players ready for the Super Cup,” Johnson told KickOff.

“If I were the coach, I would field my best team. The Bafana Bafana medical team would have to come and assess how to get these players performing at their best.”

Johnson said the importance of the final meant Sundowns should prioritise their strongest available line-up, while recognising that doing so could create challenges for the subsequent international fixtures.

“I would field my strongest team because the Sundowns match is a final. Once it is over, we can discuss the next steps,” he said.

“However, it is a double-edged sword: you have to consider the players and Bafana Bafana.”

The former Al Ahly assistant coach added that the fitness staff would be central to determining whether Williams and Mokoena could play in the final and then contribute to the national team’s preparations.

“The fitness staff are the most important people in preparing for both matches, given the situations involving Williams and Mokoena,” Johnson said.