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South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of support from fellow Africans during Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The loss leaves South Africa with an uphill task in Group A as they seek to qualify for the knockout stages after a difficult start to the tournament.
Mexico took the lead in the ninth minute when Julián Quiñones capitalised on a defensive error before Raúl Jiménez doubled the advantage with a header in the 67th minute.
South Africa’s challenge was compounded by the dismissals of Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane in the second half, reducing the team to nine men before Mexico’s César Montes was also shown a red card in stoppage time.
Read more: 2026 World Cup opens in Mexico City with Shakira, Mexico beats South Africa 2-0
Speaking after the match, Pulse Sports reports that Williams questioned why many African supporters appeared to back Mexico instead of South Africa, calling for greater continental solidarity during international competitions.
“Africans have always supported other African countries in every World Cup tournament, but I can’t figure out why our own case is different,”
Williams was quoted as saying. “Many Africans supported Mexico, not us, the South Africans. It’s truly sad.”
The goalkeeper appealed for unity among nations on the continent, urging Africans to “stand for each other” on the global stage.
However, Williams’ comments sparked mixed reactions online, with some supporters agreeing that African teams should rally behind one another at major tournaments.
Others, including social media users from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, pointed to South Africa’s history of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals as a reason for withholding their support.
Several commenters argued that repeated attacks on migrants and tensions involving other African nationals living in South Africa had damaged relations and weakened the sense of continental solidarity.
Some openly acknowledged supporting Mexico, saying those incidents influenced their decision.
The debate has reignited broader discussions about African unity, with some calling for sport to transcend political and social divisions, while others contend that genuine solidarity must be built on mutual respect and improved relations among nations.
For South Africa, attention now turns to its remaining Group A fixtures, where Bafana Bafana will need a strong response to keep their hopes of progressing in the tournament alive.
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