Baxter: Rowen Williams 'did well'
|Published
SURPRISE CALL: Ronwen Williams. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix. SURPRISE CALL: Ronwen Williams. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix.
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the best player on show in Bafana Bafana’s 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast in their opening 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group D fixture on Monday.
Now the 27-year-old SuperSport United No.1 needs to continue in the same vein when South Africa face Namibia at Cairo’s Al-Salaam Stadium on Friday.
In the build-up to their Afcon opener, it was always evident that Bafana coach Stuart Baxter had some tricks up his sleeve.
But Williams' inclusion ahead of Darren Keet was the biggest surprise.
TRICKSTER: Coach Stuart Baxter, was full of tricks for the opening game. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix.
In Bafana’s crunch final Afcon qualifying match, against Libya in March this year, Keet was magnificent as the South Africans booked their tickets to the continental showpiece event in Egypt.
As such, it was expected that Keet was the front-runner to start the opening Afcon match against the Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast and Bafana Bafana team sheet pic.twitter.com/iMORaFcIRy
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 24, 2019
But Williams put in an excellent performance.
The coach explains his decision as follows: “When we played against Libya, we played with three centrebacks because their strength was getting in lots of crosses. But that was not the strength of the Ivory Coast.
ON HOLD: Darren Keet was put on hold for Williams' inclusion in the opening game squad. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix.
“This was a different game. Darren [Keet] was suited for that game against Libya and he has also been a little bit more inactive.
“Ronwen [Williams] was more suited for the game [against Ivory Coast]. His shot-stopping and his quick distribution would be important. I thought Ronwen did very well.”