South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has insisted his side will emerge stronger from their narrow defeat to Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, despite feeling they were on the wrong end of key decisions during the match.
Bafana Bafana lost 1–0 after Mohamed Salah converted a first-half penalty, a decision that followed a VAR review. Speaking after the game, Williams admitted the result was a setback but praised his teammates for their effort and belief.
“We are disappointed. The objective in the game was not to lose,” Williams said. “We wanted to win or at least get a point to secure qualification, but it wasn’t to be.”
The goalkeeper suggested South Africa were unfortunate with the officiating, questioning the penalty awarded to Egypt and pointing to a late incident at the other end that went unpunished.
“We feel a bit hard done by because of the decisions made on the field,” he added. “We feel it was a soft penalty, and obviously when you look at what happened on the other side towards the end, we should have got a penalty.”
Egypt were reduced to 10 men before half-time, prompting them to sit deep and protect their lead, a challenge Williams said South Africa struggled to overcome despite creating opportunities.
“We knew they would sit deep because they were a man down. They were just defending their box,” he explained. “We created a few half-chances and some decent chances, but it wasn’t to be.”
Williams also highlighted Egypt’s tactical changes, including a back five and a crowded midfield, which forced South Africa to adapt quickly.
“The performance was amazing,” he said. “The fight and the never-say-die attitude were there. We left everything on the field, we just couldn’t get the goal.”
Despite the disappointment, Williams remains confident about South Africa’s prospects in the tournament.
“I am proud of these boys. We showed we can compete against the best,” he said. “Now it’s about looking forward to the next game on Monday. We will definitely qualify.”
