Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams' heroic performance at the African Cup of Nations has become a hot topic. Bafana Bafana defeated Cape Verde 2-1 in a tense penalty shootout to advance to the semi-finals.
With this victory, South Africa advanced to the semi-finals for the first time in 24 years. However, with this victory, Ronwen Williams went down in FIFA and South African history.
Also read: Who is Ronwen Williams’ only rival for the Afcon Golden Globes?
Ronwen Williams makes history with his AFCON heroics
Williams made four incredible saves during the shootout. This save not only earned him the Man of the Match award, but also made him the first keeper in the history of the competition to save four penalties.
Ronwen Williams became the first goalkeeper to save four penalties in a single Total Energy AFCON shootout, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Nothing like this has happened since the competition began in February 1957.
Also read: “You can’t beat this unless you win the Afcon” – Ronwen Williams
However, according to reports, he is one of the few goalkeepers to have recorded this feat in multiple FIFA major tournaments. The 32-year-old goalkeeper also became the goalkeeper in Afcon for the fourth consecutive tournament.
Upon returning to his homeland, he made history as the first goalkeeper in Bafana Bafana's history to save four penalties. In response to the news, fans around the world praised his heroic act, and social media was abuzz with messages of congratulations.
Also read: 'Let's give that guy a statue': Ronwen Williams makes history
Semi-final match schedule
The victory against Cape Verde secured a place in the semi-finals against Nigeria. The match against the Super Eagles will take place on Wednesday, February 7th at 19:00.
In the other semi-final, hosts Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic of the Congo will face off at 10pm on the same day. The final will be held on Saturday, February 10th.
Also read: Bafana Bafana vs Nigeria: Afcon semi-final date and time!
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