Ronwen Williams: Calls for Sundowns goalkeeper to be rested

Former PSL goalkeeper Walter Khumalo has voiced concerns that Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams is suffering from burnout and needs a break to rediscover his top form.

Williams, who captains both his club and the national team, has recently displayed uncharacteristic signs of inconsistency, with minor errors creeping into his domestic performances.

Khumalo, who had stints with Black Leopards and Free State Stars, insists that a period of rest is essential for the decorated shot-stopper to return to his best.

Why Ronwen Williams needs rest

“There is no decline in Ronwen’s abilities; his quality remains unchanged. He simply needs a period of rest,” Khumalo told KickOff.

The former keeper pointed to Williams’s demanding schedule as the primary cause of his fatigue. “He has been involved in domestic competitions, the CAF Champions League, World Cup qualifiers, and the Africa Cup of Nations, all without sufficient recovery periods,” he explained.

“It is also important to consider his daily training with his club, which can contribute to physical fatigue.”

Solution for Sundowns goalkeeper

Khumalo proposed a concrete solution, recommending a break of at least three games to allow the player to recover fully.

“A minimum of three matches should be scheduled as rest to allow the player to rejuvenate both physically and mentally. Once this break is taken, his performance is expected to stabilise,” he added.

“Ronwen is human, not a machine, and even machines require maintenance. Aside from this, he is a capable goalkeeper who would benefit from a rest period to restore his strength and focus.”

Williams has conceded what would be considered cheap goals since the back end of last season and while he has kept his spot, the errors have not completely gone away and even on Tuesday, he let in an easy goal when TS Galaxy scored their second before Sundowns staged a late comeback to win 3-2.