“It Hurts” — Williams Fires Back At Teko And Former Pros
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has responded to criticism from former players and supporters ahead of South Africa’s must-win FIFA World Cup clash against Czechia, insisting that while criticism is part of football, respect for players must remain.
The 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) bronze medallists endured a disappointing start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, suffering a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico last Thursday.
Following the loss, several South Africans, including former professionals Teko Modise, Romeo Erasmus, Dean Furman and Junior Khanye, criticised the team’s performance.
Much of the criticism was directed at head coach Hugo Broos for his decision to start with five defenders and three central midfielders, as well as for his substitutions in the second half.
Speaking ahead of Thursday evening’s Group A encounter against Czechia at Atlanta Stadium, Williams admitted that criticism from former players is particularly difficult to accept.
“Yeah, it is difficult and it hurts when it comes from fellow professionals — people who have played the game at the highest level and know how difficult it is,” he said.
“You can question performances, you can question decisions, but you can’t question the attitude and spirit that we showed. Going down to 10 men and playing half the game with a man less is not easy, especially against the host nation, but we had the attitude and determination to keep fighting.
“We didn’t give Mexico much in the second half, and that shows the character we have in this team. We could have easily given up, felt sorry for ourselves and suffered a heavy defeat, but we didn’t.
“We kept believing, we kept fighting. Were we at our best? No. Will you always be at your best? No. But the character, fight and mentality we showed are things the boys can be proud of.
“Yes, criticise us — that’s fine — but don’t be disrespectful. Also, not everything is as bad as it seems. When you’re winning, everything is not perfect, and when you’re losing, everything is not broken.”
Responding to criticism from supporters, Williams emphasised that footballers are human beings who also struggle with the pressures that come with public scrutiny.
“That’s a wonderful question because we know how difficult it is nowadays. On social media, everyone is attacking you, and sometimes it’s based on false information,” he added.
“If you lose a game and don’t perform, you can accept it as a player. You can put your hand up and take responsibility, but when false information starts circulating, it hurts.
“I’ve been a target over the last few days because of things I never said. I never said anything about Africa or about people supporting Mexico. I’ve always said that, as Africans, we are one. We support each other.
“In good and bad moments, we’ve all got our own politics. We’ve got our own problems and our own battles that we deal with back home.
“Every country does. I don’t know where it came from, and it does hurt because, as I’ve mentioned, I’ve been attacked — and my country has been attacked as well — because of things that are going on back home.
“I’ve always said that players are human beings too. We go through things, and sometimes it all becomes a lot for us.”
After their clash against Czechia, Bafana Bafana will conclude their Group A campaign next week against South Korea, who defeated the Czechs in their opening match of the tournament.
