Bafana stars shine bright with Caf Awards nominations
Bafana Bafana and its star players, led by Ronwen Williams, have received multiple nominations at the Caf Awards, including Men’s National Team of the Year and African Goalkeeper of the Year, following their successful 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification and local achievements. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Led by Ronwen Williams, Bafana Bafana and its star players have featured prominently in the Caf Awards nominations announced on this week.
Bafana has also been nominated for the men’s national team team of the year award, following their successful qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Also nominated for Caf team of the year are Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, the Morocco U-20 team, the Morocco senior side, Senegal, and Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Williams will be hoping to win the award for African goalkeeper of the year for the second time in a row after claiming the accolade in 2024. He will be up against André Onana, Vozinha, Ahmed El Shenawy, Munir Mohamedi, Yassine Bonou, Stanley Nwabali, Edouard Mendy, Marc Diouf, and Aymen Dahmen for the award.
Williams: Key in Bafana’s Group C Success and Sundowns’ Eighth Consecutive League Title
Williams was again a key figure in the Bafana defence, which finished top of Group C despite being docked three points and five goals for fielding an ineligible player during their qualifying campaign.
Locally, Williams was also part of the Mamelodi Sundowns team which won their eighth consecutive league title as The Brazilians were crowned Betway Premiership champions last season.
Bafana Youngsters Nominated for Men’s Young Player of the Year Alongside Top Competitors
Bafana youngsters Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Tylon Smith have also been nominated for men’s young player of the year. Their competition will come in the form of Asharaf Tapsoba, Alynho Haidara, Noah Sadiki, Abdellah Ouazane, Houssam Essadak, Othmane Maamma, Daniel Bameyi, and Momoh Kamara.
In the African Club of the Year category, both Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have also been nominated. They will be up against CR Belouizdad, CS Constantine, ASEC Mimosas, Pyramids, RS Berkane, Al Hilal, and Simba.