Legendary Cameroon former goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell has opened up on what could be the biggest challenge for Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams at the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco.
The Mamelodi Sundowns goalminder will be in his third AFCON tournament after gracing the 2019 and 2023 finals as the first-choice goalkeeper. He is back at the continental competition, and this time as captain for the second time.
Williams arrived in Morocco on a high after he was named the best goalkeeper at the last AFCON edition in Ivory Coast. In recent years, the former SuperSport United man has risen to rack up accolades such as the CAF Interclub Player of the Year and the Goalkeeper of the Year.
The 33-year-old has also been a nominee for the Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy and the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award. That places expectations high on Williams heading into AFCON.
Bell, a former Olympique Marseille goalkeeper who also featured at three FIFA World Cup tournaments with Cameroon, has spoken about the challenges that come with being at the top.
BELL STATES WILLIAMS’ AFCON CHALLENGE
“The problem for anybody is to stay at the top after enjoying some success these years. But I would say to him [Williams] just keep on working hard,” Bell told FARPost.
“He just has to concentrate and focus on what he is doing. If you have been at the top, it means you know the path to get there. But staying up there is hard.
“If he is not injured or sick, there is no reason for him not to be at the top. We can also take into account the psychological aspect of the team to help him. I wish South Africa won’t suffer the same problems as Cameroon. I’m not worried about the performance of the South African team.
“Let’s watch at least two matches before we start talking about how Williams and other goalkeepers will be performing.”
Bell’s remarks come in the wake of a coaching shake-up for the Indomitable Lions as the AFCON deadline looms. The squad heading to Morocco has already sparked controversy, with high-profile stars like goalkeeper André Onana and veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar being the most notable omissions from the final team.
“For sure, Africa will miss Onana. It’s just like not having any other big-name player at the tournament,” the 1984 and 1986 AFCON winner said.
“Each team has the right to choose its players. If Cameroon have chosen not to go with Onana, no one can do anything about it. We will see if the way they handled the matter was the best. I’ll just watch the one they picked.”
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