Ronwen Williams - Mental fatigue can take its toll on players

Williams has played a total of 26 matches in all the five competitions Sundowns has participated in so far this season.

It is not the first time in the last six months, that Williams has had to be managed in the national team camp, but he also understands the heavy programme of playing all over the continent with the Brazilians as well.

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"It's tough, as much as they try by all means to help us with all the recovery protocols and the rest. Sometimes it becomes too much especially the traveling because Africa, the continent, is so big. It's massive, one day you're up north. The next you're here in the South, so, it's difficult and you can see towards the end of our campaign in December now, you could see we didn't have the legs. Sometimes just mentally, there's mental fatigue as well and I think that's the most serious one," Williams said.

Williams, who played a total of 54 matches in 2023, both with the club and the national team, and was also in camp outside some of these matches, says mental fatigue can be a huge challenge for footballers.

He’s also thanked Bafana head coach Hugo Broos for giving them a short break before coming into camp.

"You know the physical fatigue you can deal with that but once you start feeling the mental fatigue, that's when you don't enjoy football, that's when you don't wanna wake up in the morning to play because you are so tired and that's a challenge. So, luckily for us, there are things in place to help us once you get to that level,” Williams added.

They always ask us each and every day, 'How are you feeling? Are you green, red, or yellow' if you are in red then you skip that session for the day and you go in ice baths and go in ice baths and get recovery. So, ya, sometimes it becomes tough but big ups to the coach for giving us the few days off even though it was brief, those four-five days helped a lot."

On his latest injury, Williams says the niggling knee injury will not be a challenge and he should be available for selection in the opening Group E game against Mali in Korhogo next Tuesday.

"Niggle that I've got on my knee is something that reoccurs when there's lots of loading when I play a lot of games and it's just something that I've been managing over the last year or so. So, it's nothing serious, it's just something that I need to manage, something that I need to look after. So, I've been getting wonderful treatment in camp since I got here. So, ya I'll be on the pitch in no time."