Ronwen Williams laments lack of African supports after loss to Mexico in World Cup opener
South African captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of support from fellow Africans following his country's opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Africa suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the tournament's opening fixture, a result that left the Bafana Bafana camp frustrated both on and off the pitch.
Reflecting on the experience, Williams revealed that he and his teammates were saddened by seeing many African football fans backing Mexico rather than rallying behind South Africa as one of the continent's representatives at the global showpiece.
"We almost shed tears because we expected Africa to stand with us," Williams said.
"Africans have always supported other African countries in every World Cup tournament, but I can't figure out why our own case was different.
"Many Africans supported Mexico instead of us, the South Africans. We almost shed tears, but truly this is sad.
"As Africans, let's stand for each other. Let's stand together."
Williams believes African unity has always been one of the continent's greatest strengths whenever its representatives compete on the world stage and admitted he was surprised that South Africa did not enjoy the same level of continental backing during the match against Mexico.
His comments have sparked discussions among football supporters across Africa, with many pointing out that countries from the continent often benefit from collective support whenever they participate in major international tournaments.
Whether it is Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa or any other African nation, many fans believe the continent's representatives perform better when they carry the hopes and encouragement of Africa as a united football family.
Despite the disappointing start and the 2-0 loss to Mexico, South Africa will now shift attention to their remaining group stage fixtures as they seek to revive their World Cup campaign and make the continent proud on football's biggest stage.
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