On the day Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams could make his 50th cap for the national team, the goalkeeper has reflected on his debut, where he conceded five goals against Brazil.
Bafana are set to wrap up their 2025 AFCON qualification campaign with a clash against South Sudan at a sold-out DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday.
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That match, although a dead rubber with Broos' men having already qualified, will hold some personal significance to Williams, who will be making his 50th appearance should he get the nod between the sticks.
However, speaking to media ahead of the match, the Gqeberha native identified a nightmarish debut in national colours that ended in a 5-0 thrashing, which counts among the most important matches he's played at that level.
"I think the most important game for me was the first game, against Brazil," Williams responded when asked which was his best Bafana match.
"Even though we lost 5-0, I still have so many memories.
"That game taught me so much. It's probably the reason why I am where I am today because I had to persevere. I was called many names, and it made me strong at such a young age. I think I was 22 years old.
"There were so many doubts for many, many years, and that game just turned me into a man at such a young age. That was probably the most important game that I played for Bafana Bafana," he says.
Since then, both Williams and Bafana have turned the ship around with the national team now considered one of the best on the continent, while the shots-topper himself was ranked ninth-best goalkeeper in the world at the 2024 Ballon d'Or Awards.
Williams credited head coach Hugo Broos for the major transformation.
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"Players always have their ways of how the game should be played, but when you have a coach who has the experience over many years of coaching and achieving, you buy into what he says and, like I said, we have had so many.
"You want to learn from him and you want to give him your all because he has the experience. We walk around now with that confidence and belief and obviously, we get it from the head coach."
Kick-off is at 18:00.