Bafana Bafana and their captain, Ronwen Williams, have been nominated for top honours at the upcoming CAF Awards, with the national team shortlisted for CAF National Team of the Year and Williams nominated for CAF Goalkeeper of the Year.

The recognition comes shortly after South Africa secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a feat they sealed two weeks ago. Bafana Bafana have also booked their place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to take place in Morocco later this year and into January 2026.

Williams, who captains both Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns, has been instrumental to South Africa’s recent success. The 32-year-old goalkeeper also helped Sundowns reach the CAF Champions League final last season, further cementing his reputation as one of the best shot-stoppers on the continent.

At last year’s CAF Awards, Williams was one of the standout performers, walking away with three major accolades — CAF Goalkeeper of the Year, CAF Inter-Club Player of the Year, and CAF Player of the Year.

This year, he faces strong competition for the Goalkeeper of the Year crown from Nigeria and Chippa United star Stanley Nwabali, as well as Cameroon international André Onana, among others.

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana have been nominated alongside Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco U-20, Morocco senior team, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cape Verde — the smallest nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — and Egypt. Interestingly, all these nations have qualified for next year’s global showpiece.

The inclusion of Morocco U-20 is also historic, as they made headlines by winning the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup last weekend after defeating tournament favourites Argentina in the final.