Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has highlighted the unseen impact of his teammate Evidence Makgopa.
The Orlando Pirates forward has started both AFCON 2023 Group E matches against Mali and Namibia. He has not gotten his name on the scoresheet, although he came close against the Brave Warriors on Sunday night.
Nonetheless, Williams has spoken about the impact of the Bucs forward when deployed at the tip of Bafana’s spear.
“The two games we’ve played have been different,” Williams told FARPost. “In the first game, we tried playing more. We created so many chances, but we didn’t take our chances. Today, we were direct. We needed a result. Going into Wednesday’s game, we need a result again. It’s good that we have different sides to our game.
While he admits he never expected Bafana to hit the target four times, he has never been in doubt that they have quality upfront.
“We’ve got it in us. We’ve done it before, shown quality, and created chances in every game. Sometimes, you’re unfortunate that the ball doesn’t fall for us, and we don’t score for various reasons. But we continue believing, and we continue refining our craft. I’m just glad that all the chances we had went in [against Namibia],” Williams.
WILLIAMS EXPLAINS EVIDENCE MAKGOPA’S UNSEEN IMPACT
He believes the 23-year-old is due for a goal, which would significantly boost his confidence.
“We’ve got Evidence Makgopa, who’s been doing well for us; he’s due a goal. The guys have been backing him and telling him to keep going. His work is not going unnoticed, especially from us. We appreciate the work he’s doing.
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The Bafana captain knows the former youth international will have to rise to the occasion if South Africa is to book a place in the Round of 16.
Bafana will go for a win on Wednesday to ensure they either finish second or first in the group.
“Our backs were against the wall [against Namibia], and we needed to step up and show up. We’ve done that. So we’re just proud of the efforts, the will, the desire, and all that were there today. We learn from our mistakes.”