By Dylan Bettencourt
- Ronwen Williams says Bafana Bafana use Afcon 2025 failure as a lesson while focusing on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
- Williams says late arrivals, little preparation and inexperienced defenders hurt Bafana Bafana performance before and during Afcon 2025 matches badly.
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says the team has no time to feel sorry for itself as focus shifts to the 2026 World Cup.
South Africa were knocked out of Afcon 2025 after a 2-1 loss to Cameroon in the last sixteen in Morocco.
Speaking after the defeat, Williams said the exit hurts, but the team must take lessons and move forward.
“This hurts,” Williams said. “But it’s an eye opener. The level is rising. We have to rise too.”
He said the pressure was very different from the previous Afcon.
“At the last Afcon, we surprised people,” he said. “This time, everyone was watching us. We couldn’t handle it.”
Williams said mistakes made before the tournament played a big role in their poor showing, News24 reported.
Some players arrived late at camp. There was little time to prepare. Several defenders were playing at Afcon level for the first time.
“It wasn’t a good start,” he said. “But that’s no excuse. We have to take responsibility.”
Williams conceded six goals in four matches and did not keep a single clean sheet. This was a big drop from Afcon 2023, where he kept five clean sheets.
The defence struggled to settle. Players like Siyabonga Ngezana and Mbekezeli Mbokazi found it tough under pressure.
Mbokazi arrived late to camp and later faced an alleged racial outburst from coach Hugo Broos. The incident led to a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.
Williams said the team also failed in front of goal.
“We had moments,” Williams said. “But moments are not enough.”
He said the only option now is to learn quickly. “We have to be better,” he said. “The World Cup is next.”
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams.
Image source: CAF
