Ronwen Williams has solidified his status as one of Africa’s elite goalkeepers, claiming both the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Men’s Interclub Player of the Year titles at the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech, Morocco.
The South African shot-stopper follows in the footsteps of his Mamelodi Sundowns teammate and Uganda Cranes legend Denis Onyango, who blazed a trail with similar honors during his illustrious career.
Williams’ performances over the past year were nothing short of exceptional.
As captain of Bafana Bafana, he led South Africa to a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, with his penalty-saving heroics, including four stops in the quarter-final shootout against Cape Verde, becoming the stuff of legend.
At club level, he marshaled Sundowns to their seventh consecutive South African Premiership title, conceding just 11 goals in 30 league matches—a feat reminiscent of Onyango’s dominance in the same colors.
Denis Onyango, widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest goalkeepers, won the CAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2018 and was crowned the Best African Player Based in Africa in 2017.
His towering achievements, including leading Sundowns to a historic CAF Champions League triumph in 2016, set a high standard that Williams has now matched.
Speaking earlier in November before South Africa faced Uganda in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, Williams credited Onyango for his mentorship and inspiration.
“Denis paved the way for players like me. Watching him dominate at both club and international level has always motivated me to strive for greatness. His success showed us that anything is possible,” he said.
Denis Onyango’s team, however, was beaten to the Club of the Year accolade by Al Ahly who won the 2023/24 CAF Champions League.
