Williams Urges Bafana To Start Strong Against Angola
Ronwen Williams urges strong start as Bafana Bafana open AFCON campaign against Angola
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has underlined the importance of starting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on a winning note when South Africa face Angola on Monday.
The 2024 AFCON bronze medallists begin their campaign in Group B against Palancas Negras at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, with confidence high despite a challenging build-up to the tournament.
Williams admitted that the camp initially felt “strange,” largely due to the late arrival of European-based players. However, he believes the squad has grown stronger with each passing day, particularly after the inclusion of Lyle Foster, Shandre Campbell and Yaya Sithole, whose presence has significantly boosted the group.
“Obviously, we know that the preparations have been very strange, with the European-based players only joining the camp a bit later,” Williams said, who claimed the AFCON Goalkeeper of the Tournament and was included in the Team of the Tournament in the Ivory Coast.
“But once we were complete, you could see the mood was much better, training improved, and the team spirit lifted. Everything just got much better once everyone arrived in camp.”
The 33-year-old goalkeeper added that the intensity and quality of training sessions have noticeably increased in recent days.
“The last few days have been good. Training has been solid, and you can see the boys know they are playing at AFCON,” he said. “The quality in training has improved as well.
“Overall, the last few days have been much better. We’ve looked good as a team, and we know how important it is to start the tournament positively. We can’t wait to get going and are looking forward to giving a good account of ourselves.”
Following their opener against Angola, Bafana Bafana will take on record seven-time champions Egypt in Agadir, before concluding their Group B fixtures against Zimbabwe at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on 29 December.
With momentum and belief building in camp, Williams and his teammates are eager to lay down an early marker as they chase another strong run at AFCON 2025.
