Kopo Reveals How He Convinced Ronwen Williams Not to Quit Football

Renowned South African football coach Kwanele Kopo has revealed how he persuaded Ronwen Williams to return to football after the tragic death of his older brother, Marvin, nearly brought the goalkeeper’s career to an end.

Williams was still developing at the SuperSport United academy when he received the devastating news while his team was travelling to Cape Town for the Bayhill Under-19 tournament. The loss deeply affected the young goalkeeper, who struggled to find the motivation to continue playing. Sowetan +1

Kopo, who was involved in Williams’ development at the time, explained that the goalkeeper was immediately sent home to Gqeberha to spend time with his family. The coaching staff initially gave him a month away from football, hoping the break would help him cope with his grief.

However, Williams did not return as expected, prompting Kopo to contact him and encourage him to reconsider his decision.

“Ronwen quit football after his brother passed on.

“We flew him to Gqeberha \[Port Elizabeth\] and gave him a month off, but he didn’t come back. I got on the phone and begged him to come back \[and play\].”

Kopo said he reminded Williams of his potential and encouraged him to keep pursuing his dream of representing Bafana Bafana. He also spoke with the goalkeeper’s mother as he tried to convince the youngster to return to the sport. iDiski Times +1

According to Kopo, the message that ultimately influenced Williams was the importance of continuing his football journey in memory of his brother.

“I think what convinced him to come back was when I told him he must come back to honour his brother because he would never have wanted to see him stop playing football.”

Williams eventually returned to football and went on to establish himself as one of South Africa’s leading goalkeepers. He later became captain of both Mamelodi Sundowns and the national team, earning widespread recognition for his performances, including his penalty-saving exploits at the Africa Cup of Nations. FARPost +1

Reflecting on Williams’ development, Kopo expressed pride in having played a role in the goalkeeper’s journey from a grieving academy player to an established international star.

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