Ronwen Williams of Supersport United during the DStv Premiership 2020/21 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Supersport United at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 20 February 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/Sports Inc
The golden gloves of Williams won’t solve Bafana’s keeper problems
Williams has been the standout goalkeeper for the last three seasons and on domestic form is the clear option in goal for Hugo Broos.
Ronwen Williams of Supersport United during the DStv Premiership 2020/21 match between Kaizer Chiefs and Supersport United at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 20 February 2021 ©Muzi Ntombela/Sports Inc
Former Bafana Bafana stopped Brian Baloyi insists that making Ronwen Williams the designated number one for South Africa won’t stop the problems at the back.
Williams has been the standout goalkeeper for the last three seasons and on domestic form is the clear option in goal for Hugo Broos.
Williams can’t solve keeping crisis
Baloyi feels that the step-up in pressure is what is preventing Williams from making the gloves his own.
“I mean if you look at this young man Ronwen Williams, I love him a lot but he struggles in the national team, playing for SuperSport United is different from Bafana Bafana,” Baloyi told the media.
“So, the stress levels when you go into the national team is totally different so he can’t deal with mental stress, unfortunately no one can help him.
“Playing at national level you deal with mental stress, even your goalkeeper coach needs to understand how to help you, his biggest problem his debut was against Brazil and conceded five goals, I don’t think he ever recovered from that.
“I don’t know people around him from club what they did to help him, he was himself and from then has never recovered, he always concedes but at SuperSport United he is totally different.”
Baloyi concedes that Broos doesn’t have many options beyond Williams with Golden Arrows’ Sifiso Mlungwana and AmaZulu FC’s Veli Mothwa enjoying good seasons but having little to no international experience.
The best local goalkeepers
The former Kaizer Chiefs stalwart is concerned that the big clubs all have foreign goalkeepers as their number ones with Daniel Akpeyi, Denis Onyango and Richard Ofori being first choice at Chiefs, Downs and Pirates.
“I think this season Sifiso Mlungwana and Veli Mothwa were the best, happy that they local keepers and all big clubs playing foreigners so those two have raised hands but the question is can they deal with big club stress because in the national team it totally different,” he added.
“Only time will tell because pressure it different.”
