Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has opened up on a “strange” and fragmented build-up to AFCON 2025, revealing how the late arrival of South Africa’s European-based stars sparked the squad into life ahead of Monday’s opener against Angola.
Under the shadow of the Atlas Mountains, Bafana has spent the last few days in Marrakech fine-tuning a machine they hope will run smoother than ever when they face Angola at the Grand Stade de Marrakech with kick-off set for 19:00 tonight. Yet, the road to this opening whistle has been anything but linear.
Williams, the calm pulse of the team, admitted that the journey to Morocco was marked by a disjointed preparation period that only found its rhythm in the eleventh hour.
For weeks, the camp, which began at the High Performance Centre [HPC] in Pretoria, felt incomplete. While the domestic-based players sweated it out in early sessions, the high-profile European contingent—headlined by Lyle Foster, Shandre Campbell, and Sphephelo ‘Yaya’ Sithole—were absent due to club commitments. This created a fractured start to the mission, but according to Williams, the atmosphere shifted the moment the squad reached its full complement.
“Obviously, we know that the preparations have been very strange, where the European-based players only joined a bit later,” Williams reflected.
The arrival of the “overseas” stars acted as a catalyst. According to Williams, the atmosphere shifted almost instantly upon their arrival. “Once we were complete, you could see the mood was much better. The team spirit, the quality at training—everything just got much better as everyone arrived in camp. The boys know they are at the AFCON now.”
BROOS’ CALCULATED OPENING GAMBIT
While Williams focuses on locker-room morale, head coach Hugo Broos is playing a high-stakes game of chess. The Belgian tactician is under no illusions about the importance of their Monday night date with the Palancas Negras.
“We are very happy that we can start this tournament and play our first game. We all know that we will face a tough opponent [Angola], but I think that my team is ready,” Broos asserted with his trademark directness.
The 2017 AFCON-winning coach also recognises that in the unforgiving landscape of tournament football, momentum is the most valuable currency. A win tomorrow doesn’t just provide three points; it provides a psychological shield before facing the continental titans, Egypt.
“It is very important we win that first game. I think you make a big step for qualification for later or to survive the group stages. So again, we will try to win it and to put ourselves in a good position for the second game against Egypt.”
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