South Africa's Williams disappointed by lack of support from Africa

South Africa's captain Ronwen Williams is unhappy about what he sees as a lack of support from other African countries. This came after Bafana Bafana lost 2-0 to co-hosts Mexico in their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday night, according to Saturday PUNCH.

This defeat means South Africa has a lot to do in Group A if they want to reach the knockout stage.

After the game, Williams said he was shocked by how many African football fans seemed to cheer for Mexico instead of backing an African team. He called for stronger unity among African nations during big tournaments.

“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 said. “Many Africans supported Mexico, not us, the South Africans. We almost shed tears, but it’s truly sad.”

He added, “As Africans, let’s stand for each other, let’s stand together.”

Some fans agreed with Williams and felt that African countries should support each other in international games. But others had a different opinion.

Many social media users from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe pointed out that ongoing reports of xenophobic attacks on African migrants in South Africa have hurt the sense of unity among African nations. They mentioned past incidents involving foreigners living in South Africa as reasons for how other Africans see the country.

Some even admitted they cheered for Mexico during the match, saying these tensions influenced their choice.