There is no doubt that Saterday’s AFCON quarterfinal clash between Bafana Bafana and Cape Verde had millions of soccer fans on the edge of their seats, but when it mattered most, it was the Bafana captain Ronwen Williams who displayed a heroic performance that kept his team’s competition dreams alive.
The talented goalkeeper managed to break an AFCON record by denying his opposition the chance to score four goals.
While many South Africans took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise Ronwen after the victory, there is nobody prouder than his father Rodney, who believes that his son still has many more tricks up his sleeve than the rest of South Africa yet to see.
Speaking to public broadcaster SABC Sport the ecstatic father shared what it was like watching the nail-biting quarter-final.
“Yoh, it was hectic. I was clinging to the TV. But I had no doubt in my mind, that he was going to save at least one or two – but not four, no. That was outstanding.”
Ronwen Williams has become the first goalkeeper to ever save 4 penalties in a single TotalEnergies AFCON shootout. ???#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/35g7qPeB2D
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 4, 2024
Speaking about the journey travelled Rodney says that he was proud of how far his son has come after having left Gqeberha at the age of 12 to join SuperSport United in Joburg.
“It wasn’t easy, really. It wasn’t easy to leave your son, your baby son, to go into the world. But, at the end of the day, it was worth it.”
Meanwhile, he revealed a little secret that not too many soccer fans knew about the star goalkeeper.
“Ronwen was at about the age of seven when he joined Shatterprufe Rovers [amateur club in Gqeberha], but not as a goalkeeper, as a striker. He started as a striker, and that is what many people don’t know,” he added.
“I wish that one day he will get a chance to play in-field, then South Africa will see the different side of Ronwen – I can guarantee you, he’s a striker.”
In a previous pitch side podcast interview with his current club Mamelodi Sundowns, the 32-year-old who comes from a background where his parents and siblings participated in football confirmed the news, highlighting that the only reason he switched positions was because he looked up to his uncle.
“I was a striker and enjoyed scoring goals. I was very fast; I know I don’t look fast but I was very fast.”
“But I looked up to my uncle who was a goalkeeper. He was one of the best. He played for EP at the provincials and I wanted to be like him and that’s when I started going in goals,” he explained.
Also see: Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams makes AFCON history
