Baloyi – Bafana’s Williams is the penalty king

Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legendary goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has made a bold claim, labeling Ronwen Williams the best ‘penalty saver’ South Africa has ever produced. 

Shortly after Bafana’s 2-1 penalty shoot-out win over Cape Verde, where Williams saved for penalties, Baloyi took to social media and gave Williams his flowers after the team reached its first semifinal in 24 years.

Williams equalled the record of another South Africa legend Andre Arendse’s four clean sheets which he achieved at the ’96 nations cup on homesoil. Arendse’s heroics propelled Bafana to their first and only AFCON title.

Baloyi ,who also had a reputation of saving penalties in big games, has first hand AFCON experience. He was in goal for Bafana when they lost to Egypt in the final of the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations edition in Burkina Faso. 

Ahmed Hassan and Tarek Mostafa were on target for Egypt in a game that saw South Africa stumble at the last hurdle and failed to defend their crown.

‘What a performance’

“What a performance by Ronwen Williams and the boys but a special mention must go to captain fantastic,” said Baloyi.

“By far Mzansi’s (South Africa) best penalty saver of all time and arguably one of the best in the world.”

Williams and his troops play Nigeria in Wednesday’s first semifinal of what has been a tournament of surprises in Cote d’Ivoire. The Super Eagles are chasing their first title since 2013. Ironically, they last won Africa’s biggest spectacle in South Africa 11 years ago.