Bafana Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams made history by being the first goalkeeper to save four penalties in a single AFCON match.
Bafana Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams made history by being the first goalkeeper to save four penalties in a single AFCON match.
Williams, a South African soccer player born on January 21, 1992, achieved something special when South Africa won 2-1 against Cape Verde in a penalty shootout. This victory secured their spot in the AFCON semi-finals.
Playing as a goalkeeper for Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership, Williams also captain’s the national side.
His outstanding performance helped the national team reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2000.
Williams will be a contender for the best goalkeeper award when the tournament is over. He will next face a star-studded Nigeria in the last four of the competition.
⭐️ ℍ𝕀𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐 𝕄𝔸𝕂𝔼ℝ ⭐️
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) February 4, 2024
Bafana Bafana goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams is the first goalkeeper to make 4⃣ penalty shootout saves in a single AFCON tournament!#SABCSportFootball #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/DvdHSBbQrt
Joining SuperSport United
In 2004, Williams became a youth player for SuperSport United. His debut in the CAF Champions League took place in January 2012, facing Matlama FC.
Four months later, he made his debut in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) against Free State Stars. Impressively, Williams managed to keep clean sheets in both of these games. In his time at the club, three Nedbank Cups, two MTN8 titles and the Telkom Knockout.
Williams joins Mamelodi Sundowns
Williams joined Mamelodi Sundowns on 21 July 2022 after playing for Supersport United for 12 years.
In the opening match of the 2022/23 season against Cape Town City he had his debut. During this game, he showcased his skills by making several impressive saves and successfully maintaining a clean sheet.
The National Team
Back in March 2014, Williams made his international debut in a friendly match against Brazil then in August 2021 he got another big opportunity. He was chosen to be the new captain of South Africa. He’s been capped 37 times by the national team.
Awards and Honors
AFCON 2023: He won Player of the Match for saving a very tense penalty shootout between Bafana Bafana and Cape Verde.
MTN 8: Williams won the MTN 8 Cup with Supersport United in 2017 and 2019. The MTN8 is a knockout competition featuring the DStv Premierships top eight sides from the previous season.
Nedbank Cup: He also won the Nedbank Cup, another important tournament in South Africa, in 2011/12, 2015/16, and 2016/17.
CAF Confederations Cup: Williams’ team, Supersport United, made it to the final of the CAF Confederations Cup in 2016.
PSL Awards 2022/23: Williams won the Goalkeeper of the Season award in the 2022/23 PSL Awards for his excellent performance, keeping 18 clean sheets. He also won the league this season with Mamelodi Sundowns.
🇿🇦 Ronwen Williams 🇿🇦
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 3, 2024
Heroic saves make him the TotalEnergies Man of the Match! 🧤#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #CPVRSA | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/R6VsrGgOmu
