Williams makes history as first African based footballer to make Ballon d’Or nominees list
On Wednesday, 04 September, it was announced that South Africa's number one goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, had added to his growing list of achievements after making history as a Goalkeeper of the Year nominee for the Ballon d'Or Yashin Trophy, the most prestigious individual trophy in world football.
The Bafana Bafana skipper is the first footballer playing in Africa to be nominated for this award, making continental history.
Williams is the only African keeper on the list, which includes Emiliano Martez (Argentina), Unai Simon (Spain), and Diogo Costa (Portugal).
George Weah, who remains the sole African to receive the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 1995, was also the first non-European to do so. Since transferring to Mamelodi Sundowns from his hometown team SuperSport United in July 2022, Williams (32) has experienced a remarkable rise. During this time, he played a vital role in both Mamelodi Sundowns' consecutive titles, solidifying his position as the top goalkeeper for Bafana Bafana.
