Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has set the record straight on SAFA’s protest of the Ghana-South Africa match, saying the response from the Ghanaian FA didn’t make sense.
The 29-year-old was present at the Walter Sisulu Soccer Challenge launch alongside Sundowns Ladies goalkeeper Andile Dlamini and former Bafana Bafana international Siphiwe Tshabalala.
He discussed the important youth tournament but was also asked about the protest of the South African Football Association, with the whole country awaiting a ruling from FIFA.
Williams revealed the players are also just waiting but clarified once again that SAFA’s protest is against the match official – Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye – and was not an attack on their “African brothers”.
“We’re waiting, we actually thought that there was going to be some sort of announcement yesterday, but they stated that they had discussions yesterday (Wednesday),” he said.
“We’re just playing the waiting game. I think we’ve got a very strong case. Mr. Ace Ncobo came up with an amazing analysis of the whole thing.
“I saw the response from Ghana (but) we don’t have any problems with Ghana. We don’t have problems with the players, we don’t have problems with the FA, everything was fine there.
“Our problem was with the officiating. So their response, it didn’t make sense. They are our African brothers, we look up to them. Most of them are playing overseas.
“We’re just playing the waiting game now and hopefully we’ll get that replay and just go out there and fight because I think we were the better team throughout this group.
“To go out like that obviously hurt, but that’s how characters are built and the guys need to just stay focus and believe in what we are building.”
Williams also spoke about having to switch from the emotions around the 1-0 defeat to Ghana and returning to club football just a few days later.
“You have to recover (emotionally). In football, you play every three games. I had to take off my Bafana hat and put my SuperSport one on,”
“As much as it’s still in the back of my mind, I’ve got other things that I need to focus on and that’s club commitments. I’m the captain there as well, I’m the leader of the pack.
“It’s just for me to juggle them both and switch the hats when it’s time.
