WILLIAMS OUT TO SAVE HIS DREAM
RONWEN Williams has a dream but he has spent the better part of this month recovering from a nightmare.
Let’s start with the nightmare. The SuperSport United goalkeeper once again proved that he is not ready to be Bafana Bafana’s No 1 with his shaky performance against the Cape Verde in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Even though Williams wasn’t to blame for the two goals he conceded, he struggled to exert his authority, which would have rubbed off on his teammates leading to them having more confidence in him. But that didn’t happen and his Bafana teammates tried too much to protect him and ended up making silly mistakes.
“I know that I haven’t had the best Bafana Bafana career so far,” Williams said. “The last game I played, even though I conceded two goals, there was hardly anything wrong I did in that game. I think I did OK.
“That was one of my better games for the national team. But hopefully I can turn things around to cement my spot there.”
Williams is likely to continue looking at the No 1 jersey from afar, especially if Itumeleng Khune and Darren Keet are fit. The 25-year-old’s poor showing for Bafana has led to him being labelled a club goalkeeper at best; not good enough to lead the national team in international football with its big demands.
“It’s part of football,” Williams said of the criticism he has faced. “These things will only make me stronger. I just look at it like that. I watch the backlash and listen to all the negative comments. It helps me to improve my game. I have been going strong for the past six years. I am not going to crack now because of what the media says. I am there to play for myself and my family. There is nothing I can do or say to the people who say that I am not cut out for Bafana Bafana. I know that I haven’t had the best Bafana career.
But if the results don’t go our way you can’t always blame the goalkeeper.
There are XI players on the field. I take all the criticism with a pinch of salt and just motivate myself to keep on going.” Williams’ problems at Bafana are a lot similar to what Senzo Meyiwa endured at Orlando Pirates before he became the club’s No 1 and captain.
The lad from Port Elizabeth has a lack of self-belief and it doesn’t help his case CAMEROON came out tops in a four-team tournament played at the Colville Field on Sunday, after getting the better of the Galeshewe XI, NC Celtic and Burning Leaves.
In the opening match Cameroon beat Galeshewe XI 4-3, This was followed by the NC Celtic vs Burning Leaves clash, where Celtic came away with a 2-1 victory.
The two winners then headed to the final, which was a hard-fought encounter that ended 1-all at full time. The match was played at an extremely fast pace with both teams attacking, resulting in play going from one side of the field to the other.
Cameroon scored first and led 1-0 at the half-time break, after Sitibang Biokoilo banged in a 25-yard piledriver in the 18th minute.
For Celtic however, Kaylee Naidoo and teammate, Darryl Williams, applied pressure working hard to penetrate the Cameroon defence, but midfielder Elton Smithy and defender Franky Niewenhuizen did sterling work keeping the Celtic attack at bay.
The second half saw Celtic utilising a different strategy, which eventually paid off when, in the 58th minute, Shaun Jacobs equalised with a great goal.
The hard-fought second half continued at a blistering pace and it was almost surprising that regulation time ended in the 1-all draw.
The penalty shoot-out eventually saw Cameroon coming away with the 5-4 result.
Meanwhile, also on Sunday, in a Sol Plaatje Local Football Association Masters League fixture played at Donkerhoek Field Force played to a 4-all draw against opponents, Colville Masters, with all the goals coming in the second half.
GIDDY VAN ROOYEN that he has been on the losing side in three of the five games he has started for Bafana, with one clean sheet and conceding 10 goals in the process – granted five of those were against a rampant Brazil.
That lack of confidence heightens with every mistake he makes. The only way he can change that narrative is by continuing to do well at SuperSport, like tonight in the clash with Chippa United at Lucas Moripe Stadium.
But it’s doing well in the Caf Confederation Cup that can help Williams send a stronger statement.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori will travel to Zambia after facing the Chilli Boys to take on Zesco United in Ndola in the second leg of their quarter-finals tie. The Zambians will attack SuperSport with more intent having sat back in the goalless draw in the first leg.
This is where Williams’ dream comes in. “Playing in these competitions is a big deal. It helps the national team as well because if we can handle this pressure at club level, it means it will be nothing when we have to face it with the national team.
“You grow as a player when you are playing in these competitions. We are happy and inspired by what Mamelodi Sundowns have done on the continent.
“But locally, we want to beat them. Hopefully they can go all the way in the Champions League and we win the Confederation Cup so that we can meet in the Caf Super Cup.”