Bafana player ratings: Catlike Ronwen rock solid, but lax midfield needs attention

It was either a saviour or savouring football encounter for most watching as Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams stole the show on a night that could have been gut-wrenching.

RECAP | Bafana Bafana 1-2 Morocco

Yes, Bafana went down 2-1 to Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in front of a roaring hostile crowd that jeered when the Bafana boys sang along to the Nkosi sikelel' Afrika tune.

But the result could have been much worse for South Africa in their opening 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Group K opponents Morocco on Thursday.

Lyle Foster lit the fire that sparked Morocco into action as early as the eighth minute when he superbly controlled a perfectly spiralled pass from Sphephelo Sithole and put South Africa into a 1-0 goal lead.

That goal could not even silence Morocco's home crowd as decibels only increased thereafter.

Wave after wave of Moroccan attack, Williams put his body on the line with his catlike saves to keep Bafana in the game. It was reminiscent of his performance against France in March, where he was at his best despite a 5-0 defeat.

Williams could only do so for 51 minutes against Morocco.

Youssef En-Nesyri equalised six minutes into the second-half before Ayoub El-Kaabi finessed a half-volley to complete the comeback in the 87th-minute.

Bafana will lick their wounds and return to action in September when they play Liberia in back-to-back fixtures, and victories in both matches could seal their passage to Afcon next year.

Here's how I rated the Bafana players:

Ronwen Williams: 8

The Bafana captain made no less than 10 saves on the night - at least six of those efforts on target should have been a goal by the usual standards of the Atlas Lions. The 30-year-old once again