Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams is hopeful that the promising Bafana Bafana forwards can help South Africa reach the Africa Cup of Nations final.
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South Africa will play Liberia at the Orlando Stadium on Friday and again in Monrovia on Tuesday, and six points will guarantee a place in the finals in Ivory Coast next year.
Bafana’s woes in front of goal have been well-documented, but they now have a number of forwards in good form. Cassius Mailula has been rattling in goals for Mamelodi Sundowns, while Lyle Foster has scored his first goal for Burnley in England, Percy Tau has also hit the back of the net for Al Ahly, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane has been off the mark in the Major Soccer League season in the US.
“It was amazing,” Williams said this week.
“We always cry as a country without goalscorers, now we have got some.
“We have to respect them and help them … and make sure the back line is kept clean,” the Bafana goalkeeper added.
“After we did the job there, I’m sure they will do their job up front. They all scored, even Zakes Lepasa scored a brace (for SuperSport). It’s good for them and good for us and I hope they can carry on their form it goes to Bafana which has been set.
Raise your spirits
Meanwhile, Williams wants to help Bafana reach the Afcon finals to help lift the spirits of a nation clearly experiencing a lot at the moment.
“We know what Bafana means to the country and we bring hope,” Williams said. We need look no further to see what the rugby team did at the World Cup (2019) and see what it inspired.
“We know the importance of sports for the community and people think about us. There are a lot of negatives, so what we can do is important. The kids just need to know that they are not only doing this for themselves, but also for the country.