Ronwen Williams, Mamelodi Sundowns’ goalkeeper, has revealed the story behind his crucial blunder during their thrilling FIFA Club World Cup group stage clash with Borussia Dortmund. The match, held at Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium on Saturday night, saw Dortmund edge a 4-3 victory after coming from behind.
How a simple back pass turned into a nightmare
Williams’ costly mistake came in the 16th minute when a back pass went directly to Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, who capitalised on the error to give the German giants the lead. Williams shared what led to the mishap, explaining how his teammate Teboho Mokoena’s unexpected movement disrupted his intended pass.
“It’s not nice to concede a goal like that. But you know, we are a team that takes risks. So, before I received the ball, I obviously saw ‘Tebza’ there, but he got a call from Marcelo Allende to move away. It was just one of those unfortunate situations. But we learn from it, and we keep going,” Williams said, as quoted by FARPost.
Sundowns’ fighting spirit on full display
“However, we showed that we can compete. Yes, obviously, they are physically bigger, but it’s all about the mind; if your mentality is right, you can go out there and compete with the best, and that’s what we showed.
“We had a very good chance in the first-half, and I’m just proud of the boys for their efforts and the desire to keep fighting. Now, the gap is not that big. I think we have proved that.”
Final score line and goal scorers
The intense match ended 4-3 in favour of Dortmund. Goals from Felix Nmecha, Serhou Guirassy, Jobe Bellingham, and an own goal by Khuliso Mudau secured the win for the Bundesliga giants. Meanwhile, Lucas Ribeiro, Iqraam Rayners, and Lebo Mothiba found the net for Sundowns, keeping the contest fiercely competitive.
Do you think Mamelodi Sundowns would have won without Williams’ blunder?
Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.