Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams' agent Matthew Moore has opened up on his Ballon d'Or nomination.
Williams became the first Africa-based shot-stopper to be nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award (Yashin Trophy) at the Ballon d'Or awards. He was recognized for his stellar showing at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where he inspired Bafana Bafana to a third-place finish.
READ: Chiefs to gain CAF advantage over Downs Pirates?
Among his heroics at the AFCON, the 32-year-old also became the first goalkeeper in the tournament's history to save four penalties against Cape Verde in the quarter-finals, as he helped South Africa reach the semi-finals for the first time in 24 years.
Williams received overwhelming support in the country, after he jumped up the voting poll by French publication L'Equipe.
However, the Ballon d'Or winners will be selected from journalists of the Top 100 FIFA Ranked Countries around the world.
In an exclusive interview with KickOff, Moore says they are proud of what Williams has achieved already, for being nominated for the prestigious award.
"Whether Ronwen wins it or not, I think the country can be immensely proud he was able to achieve this recognition," Moore clarified.
"He's had an absolutely fantastic 2024 for club and country. He is immensely proud to be able to represent the country on an international stage.
"If everyone continues to get behind him and behind the national team, that would be great because we need all the support we can get, especially to qualify for the World Cup in 2026.
"Getting back to the World Cup is very important for our country, not only for the enthusiasm around the game but also for player development. We need to start being taken seriously again as a footballing nation," Moore added.
READ: 'Bra Jomo knew how to discipline a player'
L'Equipe are not the organisers of the Ballon d'Or and therefore votes cast on their website would not count towards the winners.
The Ballon d'Or is co-organized by France Football magazine, under the same parent company as L'Equipe.