Bafana Bafana captain and Mamelodi Sundowns star Ronwen Williams has been named as one of ten goalkeepers nominated for the global Yashin Award.
The Yashin Award is given to the best goalkeeper in the world over a certain period.
Williams’ performances for Bafana Bafana in the Africa Cup of Nations, and for his club Sundowns have not gone unnoticed.
🚨![CDATA[]]>🧤 Best Goalkeeper nominees at the Ballon d’Or!
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 4, 2024
Who would you vote as best GK? 🏅 pic.twitter.com/no0kUn4Eie
The 32-year-old Gqeberha-born Williams made headlines around the world in February when he saved four penalties as Bafana beat Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
He would ultimately lead the team to their best finish in the competition since the year 2000.
Williams was nominated alongside Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint Germain), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Andriy Lunin (Rea Madrid), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), and Yann Sommer (Inter Milan).
Previous winners of the Yashin Award are Martinez (2023), Thibaut Courtois (2022), Donnarumma (2021), and Alisson Becker (2019).
The award is named after Russian great Lev Yashin, who in 1963, became the first and so far only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or Award.
Williams, who is absent from the Bafana Bafana squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan due to injury, is the first South African to be nominated at the Ballon d’Or Awards.
IOL Sport