Bafana Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams has refused to take all the credit for his unrivalled penalty shootout heroics that helped SA sink Cape Verde to reach their first ever Afcon semifinals in 24 years in Yamoussoukro on Saturday.
Williams splendidly saved four penalties to inspire Bafana to a 2-1 victory, also saving Zakhele Lepasa and Aubrey Modiba blushes as the pair missed their penalties. Teboho Mokoena and Mothobi Mvala managed to convert theirs.
The game had finished goalless in extra time. Now Bafana will face old foes Nigeria in Bouaké on Wednesday (7pm SA time). The Bafana captain has implied that if it was not for the work the team's analysts did on Cape Verde penalty-takers behind the scenes, he wouldn't have stopped those four penalties, dedicating his man of the match accolade to the whole team.
"I'll receive this award on behalf of the whole team, the staff, the technical team and everyone that's been on the journey with us...the analysts, they cut so many videos to study the clips, I studied them as well but credit to the analysts and the goalkeeper coach as well,'' Williams said at the post-match presser.
"They [the analysts] sent me so many clips, my phone is full of penalty clips. So, credit to the analysts because it's not easy to get footage of these players, they are playing all over the world. The work the analysts did, made my job more easier because I had an idea where most of the players were going.''
'It was all a team effort', Bafana hero Ronwen Williams says
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix Staff
Bafana Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams has refused to take all the credit for his unrivalled penalty shootout heroics that helped SA sink Cape Verde to reach their first ever Afcon semifinals in 24 years in Yamoussoukro on Saturday.
Williams splendidly saved four penalties to inspire Bafana to a 2-1 victory, also saving Zakhele Lepasa and Aubrey Modiba blushes as the pair missed their penalties. Teboho Mokoena and Mothobi Mvala managed to convert theirs.
The game had finished goalless in extra time. Now Bafana will face old foes Nigeria in Bouaké on Wednesday (7pm SA time). The Bafana captain has implied that if it was not for the work the team's analysts did on Cape Verde penalty-takers behind the scenes, he wouldn't have stopped those four penalties, dedicating his man of the match accolade to the whole team.
"I'll receive this award on behalf of the whole team, the staff, the technical team and everyone that's been on the journey with us...the analysts, they cut so many videos to study the clips, I studied them as well but credit to the analysts and the goalkeeper coach as well,'' Williams said at the post-match presser.
"They [the analysts] sent me so many clips, my phone is full of penalty clips. So, credit to the analysts because it's not easy to get footage of these players, they are playing all over the world. The work the analysts did, made my job more easier because I had an idea where most of the players were going.''
Even so, Williams admitted saving four penalties remains his best moment in football, conceding that would only be surpassed by lifting the trophy in Ivory Coast. The Bafana captain, who also made a big save in the 90th minute to keep SA in the game, sounded unfazed by facing the Super Eagles.
"It's definitely the best night of my career, I don't think anything will top this unless we go on and win it [Afcon],'' Williams said.
"We know it's going to be a bigger one, so we need to prepare accordingly and we are looking forward to the challenge."
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