Ronwen Williams has thrown his support behind Bafana Bafana teammate Veli Mothwa following his goalkeeping error during the 2-2 AFCON qualifier draw against Uganda last week.
Mothwa endured a difficult evening between the sticks during Bafana's stalemate against the Cranes at Orlando Stadium last Friday.
He was largely to blame for a howler that led to the visitors' second goal, with the ball slipping through the AmaZulu FC man's hands in what many would have thought should have been a fairly routine save.
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Mothwa had been picked in goal ahead of Orlando Pirates Sipho Chaine and SuperSport United's Ricardo Goss in the absence of Williams due to injury.
Speaking on 947's MSW on Monday night, the Mamelodi Sundowns star said he was confident the 33-year-old would bounce back strong.
"What I liked about it is that right after that, he was himself again," noted Williams.
"Maybe he's learned over the years – and I have learned – that when I would make a mistake, it would dwell [in my mind] and I would make another mistake.
"I think over the years, it's more experience where [when] you make a mistake, you just let it go, you forget about it and you just focus on the next action. because if you let the focus [be] down... It's still 2-1, you are still in the game. Like I said, that point is important.
Rodgers Mota benefits from a Karius moment by Veli Mothwa. Uganda leading Bafana Bafana in Soweto. #AFCONQ2025 pic.twitter.com/twW5ZEAd4z
— AFCON 2025 (@DiskiAfrika) September 6, 2024
"So, for me, it was good to see him just being his normal self after that and just playing the game. I feel for him because this was an opportunity [for him] to play. He has not played in a long time.
"But it was really difficult for him as well. He has not played a competitive game [for AmaZulu], he has not played a competitive game in a very long time, like all of us. So, it was difficult.
"But knowing him, he will be strong and he will overcome it and knowing the coach [Hugo Broos[ as well, how supportive he is of us as a team and as players... and he loves Veli so much.
"I know that he will put his arm around him and make him feel that he is still massively part of the team," added the Gqeberha native.
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Mothwa was dropped for Bafana's second match against South Sudan in favour of Chaine, where Broos' men collected all three points in a 3-2 victory in Central/East Africa on Tuesday.