The countdown has begun for Ronwen Williams who will be making his trip to France for the much-awaited Ballon d’Or Awards on Monday night. He will depart Mzansi on Sunday morning to attend the glitz and glamour affair at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Williams has been nominated in the Yashin Trophy category for Best Goalkeeper of the Year and South African football followers will be keeping their fingers crossed and holding their breath that the Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper and Bafana Bafana captain will bring it home.
The 32-year-old Williams who led Bafana to a bronze medal finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, was nominated among the best goalkeepers in the world. This is after he won the Afcon Goalkeeper of the Season and also a flurry of accolades in the PSL awards. He romped home with the PSL Footballer of the Season and the DStv Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season.
He’s up against world class goalkeepers
Some of the world class goalkeepers that Williams will be up against on Monday includes Diego Costa who plays for Portugal and FC Porto. Others are Emiliano Martinez who is in the books of Aston Villa and plays nationally for Argentina. Italy and Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma is also another top contender for the accolade.
Organisers have explained that those who determine the men’s Ballon d’Or winner will also award the Yashin Trophy to the sport’s best goalkeeper – this is a after the misconception that the winner was going to be judged by the number of public votes, after SA had gone on a massive voting campaign to boost their captain’s chances of romping home with the gong.
When Williams’ name was announced as a nominee in September, he was left speechless: “I’ve got no words to describe how I’m feeling at the moment. It’s a surreal feeling. I’m still in shock. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just proud, excited, happy; not for myself, more for South Africa as a whole. And I hope this will inspire the next generation. Inspire the players that they can just believe and chase their dreams,” he said on social media.
‘We can achieve the unthinkable’
“Just believe we as South Africans can achieve the unthinkable. I’m so proud and happy, I can’t really express how I’m feeling. It feels like my body has left me. I’ve never had a feeling like this before. Obviously, there are so many people I can thank, so many coaches and people throughout my journey. This didn’t start now, it started many years ago. And obviously I have to thank my parents too,” Williams explained further.
Williams, who was born in Gqeberha, made history by becoming the first African-based player to get nominated at the Ballon d’Or Awards. The Yachine Trophy was named after former Soviet Union goalkeeper Lev Yashin in 2019.
Williams also made the headlines across the globe when he saved four spot kicks in Bafana’s quarterfinal penalty shootout win over Cape Verde to take SA to their first semi-final and best finish in the competition since 2000.
Full list of Yashin Trophy 2024 Nominees
- Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
- Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
- Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
- Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
- Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
- Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
