Ronwen Williams is in a league of his own, and that’s why it’s difficult to look past him, says legendary Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Andre Arendse.
Williams recently became arguably the best African-based goalkeeper of all time after he was nominated for the 2024 Yachine Ballon d’Or award.
The 32-year-old richly deserves the recognition. He’s been one of – if not the – best players for Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana in the past few years.
Williams captained Bafana to their first piece of silverware in more than two decades in the Africa Cup of Nations early this year as the team clinched bronze.
He was exceptional on and off the pitch, including saving four penalties in the shoot-out against Cape Verde in the quarter-final – a feat that’s reportedly a world record.
And that’s not all. The Williams-led Bafana have turned over a new leaf in recent years, playing some scintillating football that has the locals believing in the team yet again.
Williams has been fantastic for Sundowns as well. He guided the team to their record seventh title in a row last season, the Africa Football League (AFL) and CAF Champions League semi-final.
His exploits were rewarded with, but not limited to, the PSL Footballer of the Season award as he became the first goalkeeper to clinch the coveted gong since Itumeleng Khune in 2013.
Williams’ rise to stardom wasn’t easy, though. He was mostly compared to Khune, while naysayers were still hanging on to the five goals he conceded on his Bafana debut against Brazil in 2014.
A decade later, Williams has earned the respect of many, including the revered Arendse, who won the 1996 Afcon with Bafana and is the second-most-capped goalkeeper for the national team (67).
“Ronwen set the bar very high,” said Arendse. “Very, very high with goalkeeping in this country. He is unmatched now.
“There is no question about that. That has been the case for a while. It is up to the other goalkeepers to lift their standards and levels.
“That’s a personal thing. That comes from in here (the heart) and in there (the mind). Ronwen’s got that about him.
“In terms of ability, there is no questioning that goalkeeping is in good hands from an international perspective.
“I have no doubt about that. But recent performances have proved that when Ronwen doesn’t play, he leaves a big gap in the team.
“That’s not being negative to other goalkeepers. It’s there for all to see. It is up to them to close that gap as much as they can.”
Granted, Williams is a must-have for any national team, but coach Hugo Broos recently struggled to replace his No 1, who was injured for the Afcon qualifiers.
Veli Mothwa ascended to the role of Bafana’s shot-stopper for the opening qualifier against Uganda on home soil, ahead of Ricardo Goss and Sipho Chaine.
The AmaZulu No 1 and captain had a nightmarish outing, conceding the second goal from a blunder after the ball slipped through his fingers. The match ended 2-2.
Mothwa was back at it last weekend, costing Usuthu all three points in their Premiership opener, slipping the ball into the path of Polokwane City’s Thabang Matuludi at the death. They lost 2-1.
The 33-year-old was heavily criticised for his back-to-back blunders in the space of a week. But Arendse, who knows all about the loneliness of goalkeepers, rushed to his defence.
“We’ve got to protect him! I know ... I have been there,” said Arendse, before explaining that he can relate to what the 33-year-old is probably going through now.
“You cannot feel any worse than Veli is feeling now, and it will be with him for a while. It happened to me at the biggest stage in football (the 2002 World Cup).
“I know what he is going through. We must help him. We must protect him, whether that’s keeping him playing or giving him a rest, talking to him and rebuilding his confidence.
“The one thing about goalkeeping is that it’s a thankless job because there is no margin for error. When we are developing people, we must allow (room) for mistakes.”
Meanwhile, with Chaine having replaced Mothwa in the 3-2 win over South Sudan in the last qualifier, Arendse says “to an extent” he was surprised to see Goss down in the pecking order.
Arendse is Goss’ assistant coach at SuperSport United, while Grant Johnson is working with the latter both at club and country level as his goalkeeper coach.
Arendse, though, conceded that training at club and country level may differ, hence the final decision in the national team lies with Johnson and head coach Broos.