Ronwen Williams set to join elite list of Bafana Bafana legends

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Over a decade ago, Ronwen Williams endured a frustrating night as he made his Bafana Bafana debut against Brazil at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

On that fateful day, 5 March 2014, Williams had to pick up the ball from the back of the net five times as the hosts lost 5-0 to the Samba Boys in a friendly international.

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Fast forward to 2024 and Williams, who’s now the Bafana Bafana captain and a revered figure on the continent and the globe, has turned things around and proven that sometimes it’s not how you start but how you finish.

The 32-year-old will run out for the 50th time in senior national team colours if he is selected when Bafana Bafana clash against South Sudan at the Cape Town Stadium in a qualifier for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday, 19 November.

Kick-off is at 18:00.

Currently on 49 caps after featuring for coach Hugo Broos’ side in Kampala against Uganda last week, Williams will join an elite club.

First player to achieve the feat

Since South Africa’s re-admission to international football in 1992, there have been 29 players with 50 caps or more, including former captain Neil Tovey, who was the first player to achieve this feat when Bafana lost 2-1 to France away on 11 October 1997 during a friendly international.

Among the other Bafana Bafana players to reach half a century include the late John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu and Phil Masinga, Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish, current Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, Shaun Bartlett, Andre Arendse, Doctor Khumalo, Aaron Mokoena, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Itumeleng Khune, and more recently, Themba Zwane.

Ronwen Williams, who hails from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, has shone in Bafana Bafana colours, which has led to international recognition.

Recently he was nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy, which recognises the best goalkeepers in the world, and in doing so, he became the first goalkeeper ever to be nominated while playing for an African club, Mamelodi Sundowns.

He was voted the Goalkeeper of the Tournament as Bafana Bafana claimed third place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was hosted by Ivory Coast.

To cap off a great 2024, Williams is also nominated for the African Player of the Year award, ahead of the CAF awards on Monday, 16 December in Marrakech, Morocco.

Williams is currently the most experienced player in the Bafana Bafana team.