'It will be nice to play the host nation even though the whole nation will be behind them,' Williams told SuperSport.
Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams is excited to play host nation Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in Mexico City.
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South Africa were drawn in Group A at the draw conducted in Washington on Friday, where Bafana will also face South Korea and one of four European nations. Denmark, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland will face off in a winner-takes-all play-off in March.
Bafana-Mexico rematch
“It is a replay of the 2010 opening game (Bafana and Mexico drew 1-1 in the opening match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup at FNB Stadium,” Williams told SuperSport.
“It will be nice to play the host nation even though the whole nation will be behind them.”
Williams also expects to see some players from Korean club Ulsan HD, who Mamelodi Sundowns beat 1-0 in their opening match of the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup in the USA. Williams kept a clean sheet and Iqraam Rayners scored the winning goal for Masandawana.
“South Korea have some of the players we played at the Club World Cup,” added Williams.
The Bafana captain is confident Bafana can get out of the group and reach the knockout rounds.
“You can never say where you will get the points. Every game will have its challenges. But we will go out believing we can get a result. We don’t want to be there to add numbers. We want to see how far we have come as a country.
‘We believe we are capable’
“That is not to put pressure on us, it is the first time in a long time that we have been at this prestige tournament. But we believe we are capable of getting out of the group.”
Bafana winger Mohau Nkota, meanwhile, wants to emulate Siphiwe Tshabalala in 2010 by scoring against Mexico in Mexico City.
“For me it is to go there and score, I want to score the first goal of the World Cup!” Nkota told SuperSport.
