South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has called for African unity after addressing controversy surrounding comments that were allegedly attributed to him in recent days.
The goalkeeper said he had faced criticism over remarks he insists he never made, particularly claims that he spoke about Africans supporting Mexico.
“I’ve been a target over the last few days for things I haven’t said. I didn’t say anything about Africa and people supporting Mexico.
I’ve always said, as Africa, we’re one, we support each other in good or bad moments. We’ve got our own problems that we deal with back home, every country…”
Williams emphasized that his stance has always been one of solidarity among African nations, regardless of the challenges faced by individual countries.
The South African skipper also pointed to the diverse atmosphere around the tournament, saying football should serve as a unifying force rather than a source of division.
“We’re in Atlanta now and I see so many Africans, Mexicans in one room, that’s the beauty of football. So let’s just enjoy, lets have a wonderful time and we leave politics to the politicians, let’s play football and criticize for what happens on the field.”