South Africa captain Ronwen Williams has expressed disappointment at what he described as a lack of support from fellow African nations following Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match on Thursday night.

The result leaves South Africa with work to do in Group A as they pursue a place in the knockout rounds.

Speaking after the match, Williams admitted he was surprised by the volume of African football fans who appeared to back Mexico rather than an African representative on the global stage and called for greater unity among Africans during major tournaments.

“Africans have always supported other African countries in every World Cup tournament, but I can’t figure out why our own case is different,” Williams said. “Many Africans supported Mexico, not us, the South Africans. We almost shed tears, but it’s truly sad.”

As Africans, let’s stand for each other, let’s stand together.”

While some supporters sympathised with the goalkeeper’s sentiments and agreed that African nations should rally behind one another at international competitions, others offered a contrasting view.

A number of social media users from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Zimbabwe argued that recurring reports of xenophobic attacks on African migrants in South Africa have weakened the sense of continental solidarity, with several referencing past incidents involving foreign nationals living in the country as having shaped how other Africans view South Africa.

Some openly stated that they had supported Mexico in the match, citing those tensions as a factor in their decision.