South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has denied claims that he criticised fellow African nations for backing Mexico over Bafana Bafana, insisting his words were twisted and calling for football to be kept separate from politics.
Ronwen Williams just wants to play ball, but the internet had other plans. The South Africa captain found himself in the eye of a storm this week after backlash erupted over claims he’d slammed fellow African countries for cheering on Mexico during Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 World Cup defeat to the co-hosts.
In a video released by the South African Broadcasting Corporation, as reported by PM NEWS,Williams set the record straight, insisting the whole saga was built on a misunderstanding. “I’ve been a target over the last few days about things that I haven’t said,” he said. “I didn’t speak anything about Africa and people supporting Mexico. I can remember, I’ve always said that, as Africa, we are one, we support each other.”
The goalkeeper admitted the criticism stung, especially given how often players get swept into political storms they never signed up for. “We’ve all got our own politics, our own problems, our own fights back home,” he said. “You want to focus on doing your job, which is being a footballer, but then you get involved in politics, and you don’t want to be in that space.”
For Williams, the bigger picture matters more than the noise. He believes football’s real power lies in bringing people together, no matter where they’re from or what’s happening politically back home.
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