Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has explained why the technical team decided to start new signing Ronwen Williams in goal.
Masandawana beat last season’s runners-up Cape Town City 2-0 at a packed DHL Stadium, thanks to goals by Aubrey Modiba and Themba Zwane.
The Downs coaches surprised some by fielding Williams over club captain Denis Onyango between the sticks, and Mngqithi explained his side’s decision.
“To be honest it’s a decision that we did as coaches, to be honest Denis has also been very good in training,” he said after the match.
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“Ronwen also has been very good but it’s also very important to induct a player that we think is going to be very important going forward to his in future. If you play him against a so-called smaller team and he does not perform then everybody is on top of him.
“In Ronwen we made the decision to try and induct him as quick as possible because the road ahead is a little bit rough and the competition in that space is equally rough but it’s always better to induct against a team like Cape Town City, because then already he’s played a very intense game.
“The save that he pulled maybe will also make things easier for him. But that does suggest he is the Nr.1 in the goalkeeping position. The competition wide open and in all of them we trust.”
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