Mamelodi Sundowns sweat over fitness of Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena ahead of CAF Super Cup final

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso is refusing to take unnecessary risks with his players’ fitness as the South African giants prepare for Sunday’s CAF Super Cup final against USM Alger.

The Brazilians could be without two key members of their squad, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who remain doubtful for the continental showdown scheduled for November 8 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Both players have been struggling with injuries and missed Sundowns’ recent Carling Knockout Cup fixtures, as well as their league victory over Durban City, leaving Cardoso with concerns over their availability for the crucial encounter.

Despite the importance of the trophy, the Portuguese tactician insists he will not compromise the health of his players in an attempt to rush them back into action.

Speaking after Sundowns’ victory over Golden Arrows, Cardoso stressed that the medical condition of his squad members would determine whether the duo feature against the Algerian outfit.

“Look, we cannot risk the health of a player. That’s our goal here, to protect the players and the health of the players. Let’s see how things will progress. Obviously, we would like to have them ready for the biggest matches,” Cardoso explained.

The Sundowns coach also provided an update on Mokoena, whose recurring injury problems have become a concern for the club.

According to Cardoso, the midfielder returned from international duty with the South African national team in an unsatisfactory physical condition, making his recovery process more complicated.

The 29-year-old subsequently suffered another setback during Sundowns’ preparations and involvement in the MTN8 final and their encounter against Wiliete, where an unfortunate challenge aggravated the problem.

Cardoso revealed that the latest issue involves the same leg that had previously troubled the midfielder, with the club carefully monitoring his recovery before deciding when he can return.

“I think that we have players who are doing well in those positions and we trust. We had a big setback with Teboho as understood. He did not come in close to being in good condition from the national team. He came injured and it was important that we could play in that final of the MTN8, but then (there was) an unfortunate action against Wiliete, where he was standing on one leg and he had contact and, of course, there was a small thing on the leg.

“But then again, it’s the second time. Same leg, same thing. Let’s see. A lot of work has been done on him. I think his mood is okay. His capacity to play, let’s see,” Cardoso continued.

Meanwhile, the situation involving Williams appears less worrying, although the Sundowns captain has also been dealing with fitness problems.

Cardoso described the goalkeeper’s condition as more of a medical concern than a significant injury, explaining that the club is working to ensure he returns to full fitness without aggravating the problem.

“Ronza is a similar process. It’s not a big injury, it’s more pathology. He has also been struggling, and we are doing our best to have him in proper condition because we need to protect these players. I think with a little bit of time, everything will be okay.”

Sundowns will be hoping to have both experienced players