Williams banking on Nigeria: ‘I don’t see Benin getting results’

Ronwen Williams is keeping the faith—and his calculator—ready. The Bafana Bafana captain has offered a vote of confidence to rivals Nigeria, predicting that Benin, currently top of Group C, will fail to secure a win on Nigerian soil in the final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

South Africa’s qualification hopes took a major hit after they were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe on Friday. That result allowed Benin to leapfrog Bafana into the top spot with 17 points, two clear of Williams’s team on 15.

The Mbombela ‘Fairytale’

For Bafana Bafana to clinch the automatic spot for the global showpiece in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, they must first secure a victory against Rwanda in their final match next Tuesday at Mbombela Stadium. Crucially, they also need Nigeria to defeat Benin in their concurrent fixture.

Despite their fate no longer being entirely in their own hands, Williams remains defiantly optimistic, recalling a previous qualification campaign at the very same venue.

“I still feel everything is working out in our favour. I believe in fairytales. If I remember well, 12 years ago, we had our calculators out in Mbombela, where we are going now, and maybe we’re going to correct the wrongs from that time,” said Williams.

Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen William’s message to South Africans: “I urge you to please stay positive. “#BafanaPride@SABC_Sport @flysaa pic.twitter.com/oef9BmxFma

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) October 11, 2025

Williams Predicting Benin’s Downfall

The Bafana skipper is particularly confident about the fixture between their two Group C rivals. He believes the Super Eagles will deliver the result South Africa needs.

“Now it’s for Nigeria to play Benin, and I don’t see Benin getting results in Nigeria. It’s just for us to get the job done as well.”

The match against Rwanda is already laden with motivation for Williams and the squad, as they seek to avenge their only loss of the campaign.

“We know how important that game [against] Rwanda is going to be, and we’ve got a score to settle with Rwanda. There’s a lot of motivation behind this game; they are the only team that beat us in the qualifiers,” he added.

Williams urged the nation to remain positive and supportive, stating that while the outlook may seem bleak to some, he is convinced that things will still “fall in our way.” The final round of Group C fixtures promises a tense conclusion to South Africa’s World Cup bid.