South Africa’s Ronwen Williams is finding himself overwhelmed by the amount of support received from fellow countrymen, as he is a step closer to achieving global success.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper who plays in the colours of both the national team Bafana Bafana as well as Tshwane based team, Mamelodi Sundowns, is currently leading the way on the voting polls ahead of this year’s Ballon d’Or awards.
Last month, Ronwen, who is also the captain of the national team, received his nomination after an outstanding season for both club and country. This saw him walk away with the goalkeeper of the tournament award after Bafana won the bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations. Furthermore, he also won both the inaugural African Football League, as well as the South African Premier Division with Mamelodi Sundowns.
On the 28th of October, he will compete alongside some of the world’s top international goalkeepers such as Diego Costa, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Emiliano Martinez and many others, to win his very first Yachine Trophy for best goalkeeper.
Since his inclusion in the list of nominees, there has been a call from Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie and several others, that people should start voting for him to claim victory when the award ceremony kicks off later this month.
While he has been leading the pile, Ronwen recently highlighted that there is more that goes with winning the award than just the votes of supporters, instead there is a panel of journalists from multiple countries who vote as well.
Speaking to SABC, Ronwen said: “We need to correct the statement that’s been going around. It’s not solely based on votes only. There is a judging panel and I think they will have the final say. But I think maybe the votes can sway their decision as well because that’s why they opened the platform for the votes.”
Responding to the love and support he received from South Africans, he added: “I’m just happy that the country is behind me now. I’ve seen the growth, especially in the voting and you know when we get together as a country, it’s amazing.”
He added that his goal is to inspire the next upcoming youngster to dream big.
Also see: Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams secures a nomination at the Ballon d’Or Awards
