Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been left speechless after being nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Yachine Trophy.

The award honors the world’s best goalkeeper and is presented by France Football magazine.

Williams, who has excelled both domestically and internationally, hopes his nomination will inspire aspiring South African footballers. He played a crucial role in Bafana Bafana’s third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.

Williams is among ten elite goalkeepers vying for the trophy, including Giorgi Mamardashville (Georgia), Andre Lunin (Ukraine), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy), Mike Maignan (France), Diogo Costa (Portugal), Gregor Kobel and Yann Sommer (Switzerland), Unai Simon (Spain), and Emiliano Martinez (Argentina), the 2023 winner.

Williams’ nomination is a historic achievement, as he becomes the first African goalkeeper to be recognized while playing in Africa. Previously, Cameroonian Andre Onana, Senegalese Edouard Mendy, and Moroccan Yassine Bounou were nominated while playing in Europe.

“I am speechless, I’ve got no words to describe how I’m feeling at the moment, it’s surreal feeling,” said Williams.  

“I’m still in shock. It’s like it hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just proud, excited, happy – not for myself, more for South Africa as a whole. 

“I hope this will inspire the next generation, inspire the current players to just believe and chase their dream and believe that, us as South Africans, we can achieve the unthinkable. So, I’m so proud and happy.  

“I can’t express how I’m really feeling. It’s like my body has left me. I’ve never had a feeling like this before, but I’m just proud of myself. 

“Obviously, so many people that I can thank, so many coaches, teammates, who helped me throughout the journey. This didn’t start now, it started years and years ago. Obviously, thank my parents also.”  

Williams, who will miss upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to injury, added: “I couldn’t believe when our media office gave me the call, I thought he was joking and he said he was serious and I went numb. 

“I didn’t have any feeling, I didn’t how to feel. When he congratulated me, wished me well, it is when it sunk in.  

“When I dropped the call, I couldn’t believe it. I told my partner, I told my son – we just had a moment where the tears were rolling, I just got very emotional. 

“Because it has been a rollercoaster of a career, rollercoaster from where I come from, to where I’m now, I just had mixed emotions.”  

The winner of the Ballon d’Or Yachine Trophy will be announced on 28 October at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.