Photo of Nomonde Simelane

Mzansi hails Ronwen Williams after being dubbed the 9th best goalkeeper in the world

2y By Nomonde Simelane

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’ announcement as a Ballon d’Or Yashin trophy nominee took Mzansi by storm as this is an accomplishment any African-based keeper has yet to achieve.

Last night, the South African keeper made his countrymen extremely proud as he was dubbed the ninth-best goalkeeper in the world.

Similarly to his fellow South African athletes, the Bafana Bafana captain separated himself from the rest with his incredible performance on the national team and his club. It was during the AFCON tournament that Ronwen’s full set of skills were on display, propelling his team to a third-place overall finish. He became the first goalkeeper to make four saves in a single AFCON shootout.

It doesn’t just end there. Ronwen then became the first African-based player to score a Ballon d’Or nomination, further establishing his case as one of the best talents to come out of Mzansi. Unfortunately for Ronwen, the title was ultimately snatched by Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez, originally from Argentina, whereas Ronwen was placed ninth overall.

Although this momentous achievement is celebrated by Mzansi, some users have expressed their dissatisfaction with where Ronwen was placed, citing that the only reason he wasn’t placed higher is because he is an African player who is also based in Africa. According to these users, Ronwen’s performance throughout this season was objectively better than Emiliano’s, with clean sheets being an example.

Although ninth place was not the goal, this achievement by Sundown’s keeper serves as motivation for more African players that winning the trophy is not impossible. Due to historical context, Africa is often left out of important conversations, particularly in global sports, however, Ronwen has opened that door for many.

Also see: Springboks and WAGS celebrate 365 days as World Cup champions

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