Williams admits the side were low after their dismal 2-0 opening loss to Mexico, which was less about the result and more the poor performance of the side, who looked naïve in an unfamiliar set-up and finished the game with nine men.
The draw with the Czechs has given them hope, though getting a win against a polished South Korean outfit will be no easy feat.
“It’s another big one. We have another opportunity, and that’s the beauty of football, there is always another game. We have the feel-good factor now, and we will be more positive going into the next game,” Williams was quoted by TimesLive. “Hopefully we can carry on from the way we finished against Czechia.
“We just have to believe that we can do it. The character and mentality in this team are amazing. Even during the qualifiers, when we dropped points and things were not going our way, we kept believing, and that carried us through.”
Williams says he sees plenty of fighting spirit in this Bafana squad and knows they will not go down without a fight.
“There is genuine brotherhood among players, and that’s why when we have our backs to the wall, we can pull through. We know the spirit that is there in the camp and happiness and joy that we bring to each other.
“There are a lot of bad moments in the camp, but we deal with those things. We have younger players in camp, and the good thing is that they are experiencing all these setbacks at a young age.
“You can just imagine how they are going to be in a few years’ time.”
Williams admits the feeling after the Mexico game is not something he wants to repeat anytime soon.
“I don’t want to experience silence and pain like I experienced after the loss to Mexico. You could see the disappointment in everyone’s eyes because we worked hard and sacrificed a lot to be here.
“The most disappointing thing was losing the game and all the negative press and talk around us. It hurt even more that your own people are negative, but two days after that we were back.
“The experience of the coach (Hugo Broos) came through because he just left us for two days. He didn’t talk or anything, and on Sunday night we did our analysis, and he showed us what we could have done better.
“From Monday you could see focus, and the spirit slowly came back.”
Victory against South Korea will most likely take Bafana through to the round of 32, possibly as the second-placed team in the pool if already-qualified Mexico don’t lose to the Czechs.
But at the very least four points should be enough to advance as one of the best third-placed sides in the pool stage.