Bafana Bafana captain and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams says he was dumbfounded when he received a call informing him about his Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy nomination.
The custodian put up some impressive performances last season that helped Masandanawa win the inaugural African Football League and the Premier Soccer League.
The 32-year-old also played a massive role as South Africa finished third in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He is now the only African among the 10 custodians in the world nominated for the annual award.
Williams ‘speechless' after the nomination
The South African is just the fourth African goalkeeper to be nominated for the award after Andre Onana of Cameroon, Senegal's Edouard Mendy, and Yassine Bounou of Morocco.
“I am speechless; I have no words to describe how I am feeling at the moment, It’s a surreal feeling. I am still in shock; it’s like it hasn’t sunk in yet,” the shot-stopper stated.
“I am just proud, excited and happy. Not for myself, but more for South Africa as a whole. I hope this inspires the next generation, the current players, to just believe and chase their dreams and believe that we, as South Africans, can achieve the unthinkable.
“So I am so proud and happy. I can’t express how I am really feeling. It’s like my body has left me.”
Coaches and teammates lauded for Williams' achievement
The South Africa international said he shed a tear when he received the call, and he couldn't hide the emotional moment with his family.
“I have never had a feeling like this before, but I am just proud of myself. Obviously, there are so many people that I can thank,” he added.
“So many coaches and teammates who helped me throughout the journey. This didn’t start now; it started years and years ago. Obviously, thank my parents also. I couldn’t believe it when our media officer gave me a call. I thought he was joking. I thought he was joking with me until he said that he was serious, and I went numb.
“I didn’t know how or what to feel. But when he congratulated me and wished me well, that’s when it sank in.
“When I dropped the call, I couldn’t believe it. I told my partner and my son. We just had a moment, the tears were rolling, and I just got very emotional. It’s been a rollercoaster of a career, from where I came to where I am now. So I just had lots of mixed emotions,” Williams concluded.
The custodian was left out of the Bafana Bafana team that will play back-to-back 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers owing to fitness levels after returning from injury.
