Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says the expertise of coach Hugo Broos in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will only amplify their confidence going into the competition.
South Africa will kick off their Afcon Group E campaign against Mali at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on Tuesday night. Kick off is at 10pm.
Williams was part of the Bafana squad that went as far as the quarter-finals during the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.
The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper says their experience in the continental showpiece will be key, adding that Broos’ success with Cameroon in 2017 will come handy for them in their quest to go all the way to the final.
It is not going to be easy
“Definitely, having a coach that has won the Afcon will give us the confidence [that we can reach the semi-finals and ultimately the final],” Williams said ahead of their departure to Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
“Obviously, we need to take the experiences from our previous tournament [in 2019] and build from that.
“We have got the confidence because that coach has won it before, and he knows what it takes to win the tournament.
“It’s going to be tough, it’s not going to be easy, but we just need to believe that it is possible – go out there and follow the instructions.
“What we’ve built over the last two years is amazing. This is a special group and being part of it is amazing.
“The hard work that we’ve been doing is visible and speaks volumes on the field with the results we’ve had in the last two years.
“So, we just need to go out there, do what we’ve been doing, believe in the coach and believe in each other as players.”
Despite Williams missing the preparation game against Lesotho midweek due to a niggle on his knee, Broos confirmed that the Sundowns keeper will be fit and ready to start the game against Mali.
Meanwhile, Bafana landed safe at their base in the city of Korhogo in the early hours of Friday morning.
