Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams backs South Africa to excel at 2026 World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has backed South Africa to make a good account of themselves at the upcoming 2026 World Cup tournament.

The Bafana Bafana are paired in Group A against Mexico and South Korea following the draw in Washington DC last Friday. The three teams will be joined by a European qualifying team from the playoff, scheduled for March 2026.

South African will open their World Cup against host country, Mexico, at the iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11, 2026.

This match will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener, where South Africa and Mexico played out a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium.

“Yeah, amazing, obviously it’s a replay of the 2010 World Cup. Now roles are reversed, we are going to be away and obviously we know how difficult it is but it’s always nice, you want to play a host nation because you get that feel, you get the atmosphere, you feel the electricity, the energy and I’m excited and I’m happy,” Williams said.

“I think it’s a good draw, I think it’s one that people shouldn’t look at names but just know that being there it’s going to be tough. We shouldn’t start collecting points before we do the job, we need to have that mindset and also believe that we can go out there and give a good account of ourselves.”

For the team time, South Africa will focus on the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco, scheduled between December 2025 and January 2026.