Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has been recognised as the ninth best goalkeeper in the world at the esteemed Ballon d’Or awards, where Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez successfully reclaimed the Yashin Trophy.
Aston Villa’s Martinez, who won the Copa America with Argentina last season, took the top honour, followed by Unai Simon in second place, Andriy Lunin in third, Gianluigi Donnarumma in fourth, Mike Maignan in fifth, Yan Sommer in sixth, Giorgi Mamardashvili in seventh, Diogo Costa in eighth, Williams in ninth, and Gregor Kobel rounding out the top ten.
The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper was honoured for his outstanding performances last season, which played a key role in Bafana’s third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations.
He made headlines worldwide by becoming the first goalkeeper to save four penalties in a single tournament.
His recognition alongside some of the most prominent goalkeepers in the world tops off a remarkable year, during which he was also named the goalkeeper of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in February.
“It’s an honour and a privilege for me to be recognised among the greats. It’s a massive achievement. I still get goosebumps.”
When asked if he looks up to the notorious names with whom he was nominated, Williams responded, “Definitely, they play at the highest level, they play in the most prestigious tournaments and they’re doing well, so I try to steal from them and see how they stay at the highest level and I try to copy to try to be at their level.”
In September, Williams made history by becoming the first goalkeeper nominated for the Yashin Trophy while playing for an African club, and he was the sole African among the ten nominees.
He is the fourth African goalkeeper to receive this nomination, following in the footsteps of Cameroonian Andre Onana, Senegalese Edouard Mendy, and Moroccan Yassine Bounou.
The award is determined by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked men’s teams and the top 50 women’s teams, who rank their top five players.
Points are awarded based on these rankings, with first place receiving six points, second four points, third three points, fourth two points, and fifth one point.
Williams had an impressive run during the Nations Cup, saving four penalties in a quarterfinal shootout against Cape Verde, which helped Bafana reach their first semifinal in 24 years.
He kept five clean sheets in seven matches during the tournament, four of which were consecutive, conceding only three goals as South Africa secured the bronze medal.
Additionally, Williams played a crucial role in guiding Sundowns to the semifinals of the 2023-24 CAF Champions League and helped the team achieve their seventh consecutive Premiership title with a record-breaking 72 points.
Facebook Comments