Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, once again flew the South African flag at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards last week. Williams collected two recognitions on Monday to cap off a stellar year for the Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper.
Williams came up short in his pursuit for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award. He lost to Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman who had superb seasons for Atalanta and Nigeria.
The Bafana number one may have missed out on the top award. However, his efforts did not go to waste as he got the CAF Goalkeeper of the Year award. Additionally, he also bagged the CAF Interclub Player of the Year at the awards ceremony in Marrakesh.
Williams made history as the first South African to win the Goalkeeper of the Year award. However, players across Africa selected Andre Onana, the Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper, for the CAF Best XI of the Year, leaving Williams out.
South African soccer writer, Rob Delport, was delighted for the Bafana and Sundowns skipper’s “deserved” awards but admitted that “recognition counts sometimes in awards and that’s the truth”. The soccer specialist made the important point that status can influence the outcome when these awards roll around.
Delport added, “Sometimes we have to accept that status does trump what is happening on the field and I think that we saw with Ronwen versus Onana there”. Another point raised by the South African journalist was the timing of the awards – “had they come earlier in the year, the results may have been a bit different”.
He continued, “I think had things happened in February-March with AFCON still in sight, maybe more African players and South African players in particular if we do well at AFCON, would get recognized”.
It’s no secret that Andre Onana endured a turbulent first season in Manchester with the Red Devils slumping to eighth place in the Premier League. The Cameroonian kept nine clean sheets in 38 league matches and conceded 58 goals in his debut season at Old Trafford. Nigeria eliminated the Indomitable Lions in the Last 16 of AFCON after they barely advanced to the knockout phase.
Williams meanwhile had a season to remember for both club and country. The 32-year-old made 22 DStv Premiership appearances in 2023/24, keeping 15 shutouts in that time while conceding just eight goals as Sundowns strolled to a seventh straight league title with a record points haul.
Despite being the last line of defence for the national team, Ronwen Williams, was essential to Bafana Bafana’s overall resurgence and their success at this year’s AFCON which led them to a third-place finish.
Given his performances and growing recognition, Bafana captain Williams seems a clear choice for Africa’s best XI in 2024. However, it seems playing for a club with the pedigree and stature of Man United supersedes a starring role for the dominant force in South African soccer.
One thing’s for sure, Ronwen Williams, is currently one of South African soccer’s crown jewels and he’s getting the plaudits to match. Even though he’s the last line of defence, he’s been the man who spearheaded Bafana Bafana’s resurgence on the continent and hopefully on the global stage in the coming years as well.
