Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has revealed what will keep South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup dreams alive ahead of their high-stakes, do-or-die showdown against South Korea on Thursday.
The skipper insists the national team has survived far worse setbacks in the past and firmly believes their immense mental strength will carry them over the line in Monterrey.
South Africa face a must-win 2026 FIFA World Cup clash in Monterrey, where anything less than a victory will result in an early exit from the tournament. Hugo Broos’ charges are currently rooted to the bottom of Group A, having collected just a single point from their opening two fixtures.
A victory against the Asian giants could see Bafana finish either second or third in the group, keeping their dreams of a historic knockout berth alive. South Africa have never progressed past the group stage in their previous three World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002, and 2010.
Despite the immense pressure, the skipper is urging his troops to remain positive and build on the momentum of their hard-fought draw against Czechia.
RONWEN WILLIAMS DEMANDS POSITIVITY AHEAD OF SOUTH KOREA SHOWDOWN
“It’s another big one. We’ve got another opportunity, and that’s the beauty about football—there is always another game, and we know we’ve got that good feeling now,” Williams said.
“Going into the next game, we will be positive. Hopefully, we will carry the way we finished today [against Czechia] into the start of that match [versus South Korea] and just believe that we can do it. We just have to believe until the end.
“The character and the mentality that we’ve got in this team is amazing. Even in the [World Cup] qualifiers, when our backs were against the wall or when things were not going well, we kept believing and kept the faith. That carried us through, and that’s the brotherhood that we have—it’s a genuine brotherhood,” the shot-stopper added.
BAFANA CAPTAIN COUNTS ON MENTAL RESILIENCE
With a squad blending youthful exuberance and experienced heads, the Mamelodi Sundowns star Williams believes navigating these high-pressure moments will only benefit South African football in the long run.
“That’s why when things are against the wall, we can pull through,” Williams continued. “We know inside the camp, the spirit and the happiness that we bring to each other. There are also a lot of tough moments inside the camp. So the way we deal with it, especially for such a young group, speaks volumes of our mentality and character.
“I can only see bright and more prosperous things for this team because they are experiencing all these setbacks at such a young age. Imagine in two years’ time—they will be amazing.”
RELATED STORY: Aaron Mokoena on why Williams should embrace captaining Bafana at World Cup