South African goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams has expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of African support for Bafana Bafana during their opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against hosts Mexico.
South Africa suffered a difficult start to their World Cup campaign after falling 2-0 to Mexico in the tournament’s opening fixture. The match, played in front of a packed crowd, was marked by intense drama and disciplinary incidents, with South Africa receiving two red cards while Mexico also finished the game with a player sent off.
Speaking after the match, Williams delivered an emotional reflection on the experience, questioning why many African football supporters appeared to rally behind Mexico instead of South Africa.
Africans have always supported other African countries in every World Cup tournament but I can’t figure out why our own case is different,” Williams said. “Many Africans supported Mexico, not 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.”
Despite the disappointment, Williams urged Africans to continue backing one another on the global stage, insisting that unity among African countries remains important in world football.
South Africa now face mounting pressure to recover quickly as they prepare for their next group-stage fixture in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.