Ronwen Williams is being celebrated as a national hero after he saved an astounding four Cape Verde penalties to ensure Bafana Bafana progress to the AFCON Semi-Finals, the first time since 2000.
Williams also made it into the record books – he became the first player to stop four spot kicks in a single shootout!
With both team unable to find the back of the net in 120 minutes, the match went into extra time.
It was Williams’ heroics that led Bafana Bafana to a 2 – 1 victory on penalty shoot-outs.
Watch the amazing highlights of Ronwen Williams’ saves here:
Ronwen Williams has become the first goalkeeper to ever save 4 penalties in a single TotalEnergies AFCON shootout. 🤯🇿🇦#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/35g7qPeB2D
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 4, 2024
It was some sort of wizardry, and the stars aligned for Williams as he gave a performance of a lifetime:
Tonight was 𝗵𝗶𝘀 night. 🧤
Ronwen Williams with his fantastic #SaveOfTheDay! 🔥#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | @GroupEcobank pic.twitter.com/rsfs4qN1Tv
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 4, 2024
In a post match interview, Williams said he is over the moon at the victory, and despite his amazing feat, he remains humble, giving all credit to his team:
⭐️ 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 ⭐️
🗣️ "𝚆𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍…" ~ Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams!#SABCSportFootball #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/WoNGe8JzZ1
— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) February 3, 2024
The name Ronwen Williams will remain on the lips of many South Africans for a good while:
Tonight, you wrote your name in the history books and in our hearts !!! Legend!! First time in 15 years!!! We are going to the CAF semi finals cause of this man!!! Ronwen Williams!!! Thank you!! pic.twitter.com/ymKbmRmucy
— Don Billiato (@casspernyovest) February 3, 2024
RONWEN WILLIAMS! CAPTAIN FANTASTIC!!! 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/pmDJrCAH1g
— Maps Maponyane (@MapsMaponyane) February 3, 2024
A NATIONAL HERO‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 Ronwen Williams. pic.twitter.com/KwJ6ZLSlUj
— Thando Thabethe (@Thando_Thabethe) February 3, 2024
We are through to the semi finals of AFCON, well done @BafanaBafana 🥳🥳🥳.
A job well done to Captain Fantastic Ronwen Williams for historic penalty saves. #NoDoubt, we they are bringing this one home #Nakanjani#BafanaBafana pic.twitter.com/n36DNB4Wyb
— ComradesRace (@ComradesRace) February 4, 2024
Masambe @BafanaBafana! To the semifinals we go. WELL DONE BAFANA, You have made the nation proud! Ronwen Williams – Captain, My Captain! #BafanaPride #AfCON2023 @SportArtsCultur @JuicyJay_Siya @LucasRadebe @siphiweshabba @djmerlon pic.twitter.com/0zRhN2QYNS
— Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture (@zizikodwa) February 3, 2024
It will be a nervous few days leading up to Bafana Bafana’s semi-final match up against African soccer power-house Nigeria on Wednesday night.
Nigeria has appeared in the AFCON finals on twenty occasions, winning thrice. Bafana won the AFCON title in 1996, and hasn’t been through to a semi-final in 24 years.
But for now, it’s all celebrations for our boys, as they march on to victory!
Play ➡️ Win ➡️ Dance ➡️ Repeat 🔁
The @BafanaBafana #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 cycle.🕺🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/CuSRbB054E
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 4, 2024
In the other quarter-final match up, Ivory Coast stunned Mali to a 2 – 1 victory.
In the first semi-final South Africa face Nigeria at 7 pm on Wednesday 7 February, while Ivory Coast and DRC are up at 9 pm.
