{"id":46726,"date":"2026-01-05T09:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=46726"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:22:19","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignronwen-williams-trolled-after-bafana-bafanas-afcon-2025-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/01\/05\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignronwen-williams-trolled-after-bafana-bafanas-afcon-2025-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronwen Williams trolled after Bafana Bafana\u2019s Afcon 2025 exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"mvp-content-main\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_188410\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-188410\" class=\"wp-image-188410 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ronwen-Williams-trolled-after-Bafana-Bafanas-Afcon-2025-exit.jpg?resize=600%2C552&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ronwen-Williams-trolled-after-Bafana-Bafanas-Afcon-2025-exit.jpg 600w, https:\/\/fakazanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Ronwen-Williams-300x276.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-188410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fans turn on Ronwen Williams after Bafana Bafana\u2019s Afcon 2025 elimination<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Bafana Bafana\u2019s elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has sparked intense debate among South African football fans, with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams finding himself at the centre of online criticism following the team\u2019s 2\u20131 defeat to Cameroon on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>South Africa\u2019s exit at the last-16 stage left many supporters heartbroken, and emotions quickly spilled onto social media, where Williams began trending on X as frustrated fans searched for answers after another Afcon disappointment.<\/p>\n<p>While the loss was a collective setback, a section of supporters singled out the Bafana Bafana captain, questioning his performances and leadership between the posts.<\/p>\n<p>Some users were particularly harsh, with one post reading, \u201cWe really need to be honest about Ronwen Williams. Love or hate me, he\u2019s a useless goalkeeper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another echoed similar sentiments, writing, \u201cWe need to be honest about Ronwen Williams, the boy is just overrated. Bafana Bafana must just get a new goalkeeper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others suggested the conversation around Williams had been avoided for too long.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I said we must have uncomfortable conversations about Ronwen Williams leading Bafana Bafana, they called me a mad woman,\u201d one user claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Another questioned his continued selection, saying, \u201cI don\u2019t get how he is still the first choice. Sekumnyama nje laphaa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The criticism extended beyond Afcon, with one fan accusing Williams of being protected by the coaching staff.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRonwen Williams has gotten so comfortable because he knows he\u2019s the coach\u2019s favourite. Can\u2019t wait for him to embarrass us even more at this year\u2019s World Cup,\u201d the user wrote.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"cy\">Ronwen Williams \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9xw6pLhbhb\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/9xw6pLhbhb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 L E S E D I (@_Hybreed_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_Hybreed_\/status\/2007910249014141346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">January 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, not all fans agreed with the backlash. Several supporters came to the goalkeeper\u2019s defence, arguing that blaming Williams ignored the team\u2019s broader issues.<\/p>\n<p>One X user pointed out that Williams had been among South Africa\u2019s standout performers during the tournament, saying, \u201cRonwen Williams was our best player at this Afcon by a mile. He made us look better than we actually were against Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe, and he pulled off important saves again last night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others shifted the focus to missed chances and tactical decisions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow is it that Ronwen Williams is being blamed while our forwards failed to convert so many chances and our defence is disjointed like that?\u201d one fan asked.<\/p>\n<p>Another added, \u201cBlaming Ronwen Williams while your coach put seven defenders on the pitch for the first 60 minutes is madness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One supporter called for perspective, urging fans to avoid scapegoating the goalkeeper after a single result.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not entertaining Ronwen Williams slander on my timeline. One game does not define him, and crucifying him over it is simply not acceptable. Still a top goalkeeper in my books,\u201d the comment read.<\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 4 -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Ronwen #Williams #trolled #Bafana #Bafanas #Afcon #exit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; Fans turn on Ronwen Williams after Bafana Bafana\u2019s Afcon 2025 elimination Bafana Bafana\u2019s elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46726"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46728,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46726\/revisions\/46728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}