South Africa captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been nominated for 2024 Ballon d’Or Awards.
The 32-year-old was shortlisted for the Yashin Trophy which is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the year.
The Bafana Bafana custodian plies his trade with South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns the same club where veteran Ugandan shot-stopper Denis Onyango plays.
Williams was selected alongside nine other outstanding goalkeepers across the globe including Real Madrid and Ukraine’s Andriy Lunin, PSG and Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Athletic Bilbao and Spain’s Unai Simon.
Aston Villa and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, AC Milan and France’s Mike Maigan, Portugal and FC Porto’s Diogo Costa also made the list.
Inter Milan and Switzerland’s Yann Sommer, Borussia Dortmund and Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel, and Valencia and Georgia’s Giorgi Mamardachvili completed the nomination list.
Liverpool signed the latter from Valencia but left him at the Spanish club on loan for the 2024/25 season.
Williams is one of the only two African players nominated. Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman is the other African.The Atalanta forward is among the 30 players shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or award.
It’s important to note that Williams is the first player to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award who is actively playing for a club based in Africa.
He was remarkable as South Africa reached the semifinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast saving four penalties in the shootouts against Cape Verde.
The award is named after former Russia goalkeeper Lev Yashin the first and last custodian to date to win the Ballon d’Or award as a goalkeeper in 1963.
Williams will know his fate at the crowning ceremony in Paris, France on 28 October 2024.
