Ronwen Williams: South Africa Captain Sends Alarming Message to Super Eagles Before Kickoff
- South Africa captain Ronwen Williams says Bafana Bafana is fully focused on beating Nigeria in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifiers
- Bafana Bafana have only two wins in 17 meetings against the Super Eagles, but are six points ahead in Group C
- Nigeria, without top striker Victor Osimhen, must win in Bloemfontein to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive
South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has declared that they are fully focused on beating Nigeria when the two teams meet in an all-important 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein on Tuesday night.
Nigeria has arrived in South Africa for the crunch game without Victor Osimhen after the Galatasaray striker picked up an injury in their 1-0 victory against Rwanda last Saturday.
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Bafana Bafana sit six points clear of Nigeria in Group C and could secure their ticket to the tournament with a win, as seen on FIFA.com.
Williams insists Bafana Bafana has learned from past mistakes and is determined to control its own fate this time against the Super Eagles.
South Africa’s poor record vs Nigeria
South Africa’s record against the Super Eagles is one of frustration. In 17 previous meetings, Bafana Bafana have managed only two victories.
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At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the semi-final ended in heartbreak for South Africans as Nigeria advanced 4-3 on penalties after playing 1-1 in regular time.
In September 2024, both teams met again in the first leg of the World Cup qualifiers and played out a 1-1 draw in Uyo, leaving qualification wide open heading into this week’s match.
Despite these many setbacks, there is a growing sense in South Africa that the team is now ready to beat Nigeria.
Williams brags before kickoff
Williams spoke with pride ahead of kickoff against the Super Eagles, stressing that the players are not relying on other results to help them qualify, Daily Post reports.
“We’re getting closer and closer to beating them. We saw it at AFCON, we saw it when we played them away in Nigeria. Hopefully, we can take that extra step and change the narrative,” Williams said.
The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper recalled the disappointment of past campaigns where South Africa’s progress depended on results elsewhere, insisting that the team has matured since then.
“We learnt a hard lesson a few years ago when our destiny was in another team’s hands. We grew from that, and now we want to take charge of our own path.”
Nigeria, meanwhile, are supposed to win or forget about going to the World Cup if results don’t go their way.
The Super Eagles are coming off a narrow 1-0 win against Rwanda, but remain in a precarious position in the group.
Failure to secure maximum points in South Africa would leave their chances of automatic qualification for the World Cup hanging by a thread.
Broos brags ahead of Nigeria clash
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has turned up the heat ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifier against Nigeria, insisting that Bafana Bafana are in control of their own destiny.
The Belgian coach believes beating Nigeria will seal the deal for Bafana Bafana, who have failed to qualify for the World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010.
Source: Legit.ng
