AFCON: “South Africa has qualities to win second title” – Ronwen Williams

South Africa goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams has expressed confidence that Bafana Bafana has what it takes to win the country’s second continental trophy at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Rainbow nation have already convened ahead of the continental football showpiece and they will play Ghana’s senior team B on December 16 in a preparatory match.

South Africa last won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 on home soil where an array of stars mesmerized the continent with mouthwatering football skills.

South Africa last won AFCON in 1996 on home soil

Williams said: “Of course, that will be the expectations now, that’s the expectation that we have for ourselves – that we want to go one better,” said Williams.

“But is it going to be easy? No, everyone is probably thinking the same like us, that they want to win it. Morocco have been the host nation, they don’t want to let their people down.

“So, it’s not going to be easy, we’re going to have to double our efforts, have the right mindset – a killer mindset – in each and every game, from the first until the last, and just use our experience that we gained in the last AFCON to build on what we’ve done.

“But there’s going to be no easy games, everyone believes they can win it now – you read the press conference from all the coaches and captains and you see what they say, they all believe they can do good things.

“So we know we’ve got a target on our back now, last time we went there no one took notice of us and no one gave us a chance, but now you can see everyone wants to beat us because we’ve beaten the big boys in the last two years – Morocco, Nigeria.

“So it’s going to be tough, but I think my boys are ready, and I think we’re going to go out there and come back happy.”

The tournament is set between 21 December – 18 January 2026 with South Africa paired in Group B with Angola, Zimbabwe and record holders Egypt.

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