Ronwen Williams has received backing from no less a teammate than fellow goalkeeper and 11-time South African league winner Denis Onyango in his endeavour to win the coveted Yachine Trophy at the Ballon d'Or awards.
The cool and composed net minder has made history by becoming the first African player plying his trade on the continent to be nominated for the prestigious accolade, which is only reserved for goalkeepers.
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Williams has joined the list of goalkeepers in Africa, including Andre Onana, Yassine Bounou and Edouard Mendy, to have been nominated for the most coveted crown in the world from a goalkeeping point of view.
Other nominees for the honour this year include Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain, France international Mike Maignan and Diogo Costa, who is on the books of FC Porto.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in Paris on October 28.
"The point of Ronwen winning… Of course, he stands a big chance because looking at his performance at AFCON, [it] was incredible. Leading the team [Bafana Bafana] to the third spot was massive and the saves he made and leadership showed that has matured and he deserves to be part of it," said Onyango during a press conference at Chloorkop on Thursday.
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"And of course what he has won at Sundowns, the AFL, we all know the impact he made when we were playing the league and also the Champions League, going all the way to the semifinals. So, for me, looking at the other keepers that have been drawn [nominated] with him, he stands a better chance. But it is not for us to judge, it's for me to be proud of what he has achieved at the club in a short space of time and also coming in as number 1 in the national team. It shows the commitment both on and off the field," added the towering Ugandan.
Williams is currently the Premier Soccer League Footballer of the Season, among other individual awards won last term.