South African football journalist Robin Duke has attributed Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Rowen Williams’ dip in form to his club goalkeeper coach and Chipolopolo legend Kennedy Mweene.
Williams is one of the star players for Hugo Broos’ World Cup-bound Bafana Bafana, but there have been concerns in his country that the Sundowns shot-stopper’s form has dipped.
Williams is drilled by Mweene, an AFCON and Champions League winner with Chipolopolo and Sundowns, respectively.
However, appearing on a podcast, Duke said he has reservations about the Bafana Bafana number one being coached by Mweene.
“I don’t trust Kennedy Mweene as the goalkeeper coach for Sundowns. I don’t trust him as the keeper coach at Sundowns,” Duke said.
He said Williams’ form has dipped since Mweene took over as the head goalkeeper coach for the club.
“Remember when they sacked Rhulani Mokwena or when Wendell Robinson [former Sundowns goalkeeper coach] went to AmaZulu, that is when his [Williams’] form started to take a dip after Robinson left.
“I don’t trust Kennedy Mweene. I don’t trust that he [Williams] is getting inspiration from Kennedy Mweene,” Duke said.
He said the club could have gone for a better goalkeeper coach following the departure of Robinson.
“As much as he [Mweene] won the AfCON, he was part of the Sundowns team that won the Champions League; that does not make him a [goalkeeper] coach. I blame Sundowns. I think they should have gone and found another coach after Wendell left,” he said.
Mweene proud of Williams
However, Mweene took some credit for Williams’ form.
At the weekend, Sundowns won their second Champions League title after playing to a 1-1 draw against AS FAR in Morocco to seal a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Williams played a key role in the game, saving a penalty in the 76th minute.
Speaking when he appeared on Soccer Africa on Thursday, Mweene said a lot goes into preparing goalkeepers for a shootout.
“I have been in this position before; for me that is why I keep calm,” Mweene said. “We go through all penalty takers a day before or in the morning, so we went through all the penalty takers.”
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