RONWEN WILLIAMS: SUNDOWNS WILL USE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EXPERIENCE TO GET PAST ESPERANCE

The Brazilians are annual participants in the elite continental competition but have only reached the final twice.

After ending up as a losing finalist in 2001, Sundowns finally lifted the trophy in 2016.

Since then, Williams’ team has made it to the semi-finals twice, the quarterfinals four times and the group stages on one occasion.

They find themselves 1-0 down to Esperance Sportive de Tunis ahead of Friday’s semi-final second leg, and the Sundowns goalkeeper has called on his team to put their experience to good use.

The Bafana shot stopper said in the Citizen: “In the last seven years Sundowns have learned and gained experience.

“The main thing we have picked up as a club is how to be a part of these major tournaments. The coach (Rulani Mokwena) said to us that every year we need to get out of the group, get to the semi-finals and the final, and build experience.

“You see that with Al Ahly, they are where they are because of the experience they have. I think the last years we have been there. We went to the quarterfinals, we have been semi-finalists back-to-back.

“There was the AFCON as well, it was good for the (Sundowns) players that so many of us were representing our country, to have our experiences of being in the semifinals (there), as well as being in the AFL (African Football League) final, the MTN8 final, we need to learn from all of this.”

The two sides clash at Loftus Versfeld from 8 pm on Friday.