Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams is hoping his side finally get over the line after past near misses in the African Champions League when they meet Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces in the second leg of the final in Rabat on Sunday.
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Here is what he told SuperSport.com in the hours before the final:
For you personally and for the club, it would surely be great to lift this trophy before going to the World Cup?
“Yeah, that would obviously be amazing for all the players, for the team. You know how important the Champions League is to us. We know the amount of work and effort that we've put in over the last few years. So hopefully we can go all the way and lift it. Obviously, it will be a morale boost for the national team as well. But for now, I think the most important thing is the club and how badly we want it. We’ve been knocking on the door a few times. Maybe now, hopefully, the door will open.
How will you handle the pressure of the Royal Armed Forces’ supporters?
“We enjoy it. We enjoy playing in such atmospheres in front of sold-out crowds. It's what we live for. We enjoy the pressure. We enjoy the moment. We've got the experience, but every game brings its own challenges, opportunities. We're well prepared for every situation that the game will throw at us. I think we've worked extremely hard. We've learned a lot of tough lessons over the last few years, but we’ve kept going.
"To be back in the final speaks volumes of the team and the mentality that we have. So we will be prepared. It's going to be a wonderful game, a beautiful game. Sold-out crowd, and that's what you live for. So we're looking forward to it. And that's what will make it more beautiful, you know, Africa to the world. We can show how colourful we are, the energy that we bring, the different atmospheres; you know, each country has its own unique, special way of doing things. And yet it's no different.
"You know, we experienced that at Afcon and we enjoyed it, playing in front of the crowd. We felt the love. We've been feeling the love this week as well, so we're happy to be here, and hopefully, soon we'll celebrate together.
Is this the biggest match you’ve ever played?
“Every game is a big game at Sundowns. We need to win each and every one, but the magnitude of this moment is massive. This is probably the biggest because we know how important the Champions League is to South Africa and to Sundowns. So I think I'll probably rank it as the biggest match, the most important. We are just glad and happy that we are here again.
"It is another opportunity to rectify our mistakes from the previous campaign. We've got the experience, we've got the know-how, and we'll enjoy the moment. But the most important thing is to make sure that we pick up the trophy. A match of this magnitude is always about the mentality, the mental strength, the mental capacity. How you can deal with each and every situation.
"It comes down to how focused you are, your mindset. You need to still remain calm, be in control of your emotions. You know, that's the most important thing. We know coming to North Africa, we know the crowd, we know the support, we know how they love the team, but we need to carry our emotions on a positive note, just stick to our identity, because when things get tough, you can get over it by sticking to your identity, because that's what resonates with you, that's what you know.
"I think the most important thing will be just to deal with our emotions and keep ourselves intact. Stick to the game plan, because we will not hear each other out there. So the most important thing is just to remain calm, stick together, control our emotions, and play our football.”