No favours needed: Williams sets Bafana’s agenda against Nigeria

With Bafana Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup destiny in their own hands, captain Ronwen Williams is making it clear the team won’t be looking for favours.

As South Africa prepares for a crucial qualifier against Nigeria at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, Williams emphasized that the team has learned from past mistakes and is determined to control its own fate.

“The most important thing is to get the job done,” Williams said. “We do not want any favours from anyone; we want to do things our way. We learned a hard lesson a few years ago when our destiny was in other teams’ hands, and obviously, things didn’t go our way. So, we learned and grew as a team, and now we want to do things our way and get the job done.”

Williams’s sentiment is fully supported by his coach, Hugo Broos, who shares the view that Bafana Bafana must not rely on the outcomes of other matches in Group C. The team currently tops the group with 16 points, while Nigeria sits in third place with 10 points.

“You just have to look at yourself, and I think this is something we have to do here too,” Broos stated. “We do not have to count on Rwanda, Benin, or anyone else. We know what we have to do, and we will try to do that, and if we can achieve it, we will qualify for the World Cup.”

Bafana Bafana heads into the match following a solid 3-0 victory against Lesotho. Nigeria also secured a win, beating Rwanda 1-0.

Nigeria’s coach, Éric Chelle, acknowledged the challenge ahead, praising the South African team. “I know something, South Africa are a very good team, and they have got good players,” Chelle said. “I like your coach, he is a very good coach, and his technical staff. Like I said, we know that this is a very big game and just like my players, we are very happy to be playing this match.”

A win for Bafana Bafana would be a significant step toward securing their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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