There was no shortage of pitch invaders at Bafana Bafana’s game against Congo at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Friday night. But instead of giving them the cold shoulder, South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain, Ronwen Williams, warmly embraced them.
The boys in yellow and green beat their African counterparts in their AFCON qualifier match.
Ronwen – who is nominated for a Ballon d’Or – has been praised for preventing SA’s opponents from scoring any goals.
RONWEN WILLIAMS EMBRACES PITCH INVADERS AFTER BAFANA BAFANA WIN
While many Bafana Bafana fans were annoyed at the number of pitch invaders at the Gqerberha Stadium during the match, Ronwen Williams was surprisingly happy to embrace and even thank them.
In clips on social media, the goalkeeper was seen hugging several zealous fans, who at one point even had the game temporarily suspended by security.
Posting on his own Instagram account, Ronwen said of the 5-0 defeat: “That’s a wrap! A fantastic match and a solid performance from our national team!”
Addressing the stadium spectators, the goalkeeper added: “A massive thank you to all the supporters in Gqeberha for your incredible energy—you truly made it special! Let’s celebrate this victory together!”
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It’s not the first time Ronwen has given a Bafana Bafana fan a warm hug – in July, the 32-year-old embraced a pitch invader during the team’s game against Zimbabwe.
@aaliyah_mashibini Also the stadium was packed 😩 Free State came through here bafethu. People came straight from work, others were excused earlier. The support was just what Bafana Bafana needed, I mean 2 goals were scored in fhe first 2 minutes of the game 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 #soccer #bafanabafana #satiktok🇿🇦 #football #fyp #fy ♬ Flash Cortez Phambili Nge War Cover – user49820946708
BALLON D’OR AWARD LOADING?
Meanwhile, Ronwen Williams has been nominated for a Ballon d’Or Award – in the Yachine Trophy category – for the world’s most prestigious goalkeeping award.
The Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns star is up against the likes of Diogo Costa, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Emiliano Martinez.
Sundowns
Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is nominated for a Ballon d’Or Award. Image: X @cafonline
Voting is open to the public and ends on 28 October. Thereafter, a judging panel made up of prominent sports journalists will have the final say.
The winners will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony shortly after voting is closed.