CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – NOVEMBER 18: Ronwen Williams during the South Africa mens national soccer team training session and press conference at DHL Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, has reached a major career milestone by earning his 50th cap for the national team in their dominant 3-0 victory over South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday night.
The 32-year-old from Gelvendale has now joined an elite group of South African footballing legends, including Neil Tovey, John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu, Phil Masinga, Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish, and Themba Zwane, who have all earned 50 or more appearances for Bafana Bafana.
While Williams was understandably proud of the achievement, it was his club coach, Manqoba Mngqithi, who took the opportunity to offer praise for his player’s resilience and leadership.
Mngqithi, who has been at the helm of Sundowns, solely, since the start of the 2024/25 season, highlighted the immense dedication Williams has shown throughout his career to reach this milestone, despite the challenges he has faced.
“I was so excited for him because besides being a very good goalkeeper, I think he is a very good human being. I think he is a very ideal athlete. Maybe an epitome of a good, good athlete – and a good leader,” Mngqithi told journalists at the club’s Chloorkop base.
“For him to go that far with all the injuries that he has had in his career, at his young age, because Ronwen has had a lot of injuries that have always tried to destabilise his career, the shoulder has been coming in and out, in and out and the knee. He’s had all these things that maybe if it was somebody else, you would have said, ‘let me leave this thing. This thing is too much’ and maybe leave even before joining a club like Sundowns.
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The Sundowns coach also praised Williams for the leadership role he plays both on and off the field, highlighting his influence on the younger players in the squad. Mngqithi backed Williams to reach even greater heights in his international career, particularly as he approaches the potential of 100 caps for Bafana Bafana.
“And for him to go all the way the way he has done and cement his place in the national team, the way he has cemented his place in the team, the way he has done it is something that a whole lot of youngsters should try and learn from and it is also iconic to have players from the same club following each other like that in terms of getting to the 50th cap.
“But I still believe you can make 100 and I’ll be happier when he gets to more than 100 [caps],” he said.
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