Ronwen Williams


Ronwen Hayden Williams is a South African professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns and captains the South Africa national team.
He was ranked the ninth best goalkeeper in the world at the 2024 Ballon d'Or awards.

Club career

Early career

Williams spent part of his youth career with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

SuperSport United

Williams joined SuperSport United as a youth player in 2004. He made his debut in the CAF Champions League in January 2012 against Matlama FC, and in the PSL four months later against Free State Stars. He kept clean sheets in both games.

Mamelodi Sundowns

On 21 July 2022, Williams signed with Mamelodi Sundowns after a 12-year career at SuperSport United. He made his debut in the 2022–23 opener against Cape Town City FC where he made a string of great saves and kept a clean sheet. He won the African Football League with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2023 where he made two important penalties saves one against Al Ahly and the other one against CA Petróleos Luanda.
On 17 June 2025, Williams became the first player penalized under FIFA’s new eight-second ball possession rule when he held onto the ball for 14 seconds. The rule was enforced for the first time during the FIFA Club World Cup match against South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai.

International career

Williams made his first appearance for South Africa on 5 March 2014, in a friendly against Brazil, due to a sprained ankle suffered by the first-choice keeper, Itumeleng Khune.
In August 2021, the new South Africa coach Hugo Broos named Williams as the new Bafana Bafana captain, taking the armband from Thulani Hlatshwayo who failed to make the squad.
On 3 February 2024, in South Africa's 2023 AFCON quarter-final match against Cape Verde, the game was drawn at 0–0 after extra time. Williams saved 4 penalties in the penalty shootout, taking Bafana Bafana through to an AFCON semi-final for the first time since 2000. Although South Africa lost to Nigeria in the semi-finals in another penalty shootout, Williams went ahead to win the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.
On 1 December 2025, Williams was called up to the South Africa squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Career statistics

International

Honours

Supersport United
Mamelodi Sundowns
  • South African Premier Division: 2022–23, 2023–24
  • Africa Football League: 2023
South Africa
Individual
  • PSL Footballer of the Season: 2023–24
  • Africa Cup of Nations Best Goalkeeper: 2023
  • Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2023
  • African Football League Best Goalkeeper: 2023
  • African Goalkeeper of the Year: 2024
  • African Inter-Club Player of the Year: 2024