The incoming Matsatsantsa captain has fond memories of 2017 when they reached the final and lost to Tout Puissant Mazembe
SuperSport United goalkeeper Ronwen Williams says they are keen to play Caf Confederations Cup football next season after their previous experience in the continental second-tier competition made them “stronger as a team.”
A top-two Premier Soccer League (PSL) finish could be a difficult target to attain for Matsatsantsa if football resumes in South Africa but ending the season in third, their current position, is the most realistic chance for SuperSport.
With SuperSport already out of the Nedbank Cup, their only ticket to the Confederation Cup is a third-place league finish.
But they face a stern challenge from fourth-placed Orlando Pirates, Maritzburg United and Bidvest Wits who are their closest challengers.
Williams is, however, unfazed by the competition they face as a return to the Confederation Cup, where they lost to Tout Puissant Mazembe in the 2017 final, remain their focus.
“Definitely [we are thinking about the Caf Confederation Cup]. It is a wonderful competition to be part of. We went all the way to the final [in 2017] and we learnt so much playing in that tournament,” Williams told Goal.
“We would love to get back there. Obviously, all the challenges we faced made us stronger as a team.
“That’s why I would say we have been one of the most successful teams in the past few years because of tournaments like that. We want to get back there and finish high up the table as possible.”
On their way to the 2017 final, SuperSport went past the likes of Horoya, Zesco United and Club Africain.
Some of the players who were part of the 2017 group which reached the final and are still with the club, like Williams himself, Clayton Daniels, Bradley Grobler, Aubrey Modiba, Sipho Mbule, Grant Kekana and Siyabonga Nhlapo.
But to achieve a top-three PSL finish and book a continental ticket if the season continues, SuperSport will need to shake off over two months of inactivity before completing their last six league games.
“[Our momentum] It all depends on what the guys have been doing. We have been getting a lot of daily challenges to do and the guys look sharp and they look like they have been doing well,” said Williams.
“Our physical trainer is happy. But it’s always difficult [because] we haven’t kicked the ball for a long while now. It’s tough, so we have to get back [to our momentum] once we resume training [as a team].
“We are all rested so, we have six games to go, we need to work very hard and you never know what will happen if this league, it is very unpredictable you know. The top teams still have to play each other, and you never know. We just need to stay focused, work hard and finish the season stronger.
“I think we have done fairly well to be up there but we know where we lost it, so hopefully we can finish the season strong.”
One of SuperSport’s remaining league matches is a visit to Orlando Pirates.
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