“For me, looking at the other goalkeepers that have been nominated with him I think he stands a better chance, but that’s not for us to judge. For me, it is to be proud of what he has achieved in the very short time that he has been with the club.
“And also coming in as a number one on the national team, it shows the commitment on and off the field. The hard work he has been putting in training is more of what is shown on the pitch. It is not only what he’s doing with us at Sundowns, but what he is doing with [goalkeepers Ricardo Goss and Veli [Mothwa] at Bafana Bafana. The competition they give him is what makes him better.
“The coaching department believes in him, the confidence and it’s all about him to execute.”
Onyango, 39, is also honoured to work with Williams and that the leadership for the club and country has been excellent. “It’s incredible and, for a goalkeeper, he has done a fantastic job. It is not easy especially for African players to be part of the Ballon d’Or nomination, it’s massive,” he said.
“I’m honoured to work with him and, of course, the club and the national team are very happy for him because he did a great job when he was with Bafana and showed leadership. For me, the leadership means he has been fantastic, and we hope for the best.”
SowetanLIVE
Onyango backs Williams to grab coveted Ballon d'Or award
SA’s No 1 nominated among world’s top goalkeepers
Image: Veli Nhlapo
Mamelodi Sundowns veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango is backing his teammate Ronwen Williams for the Ballon d’Or award, saying he has a big chance of winning the title.
Williams has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy award, alongside nine other top keepers in the world. If he wins it, he’d become the first African to clinch the award.
Onyango feels Williams did better compared to the other nominees. “Of course, he stands a big chance because, looking at his performance at the Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast earlier this year], it was incredible ,leading the team to third spot is massive,” Onyango told the media during Masandawana’s press conference in Chloorkop ahead of their CAF Champions League second preliminary round first leg against Mbabane Swallows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday at 8pm.
“The saves he made and the leadership showed he is mature and deserves to be part of it. Also, what he won with Sundowns the AFL [African Football League], we know what impact he made when he was playing the league and also the Champions League going all the way to the semifinals.
“For me, looking at the other goalkeepers that have been nominated with him I think he stands a better chance, but that’s not for us to judge. For me, it is to be proud of what he has achieved in the very short time that he has been with the club.
“And also coming in as a number one on the national team, it shows the commitment on and off the field. The hard work he has been putting in training is more of what is shown on the pitch. It is not only what he’s doing with us at Sundowns, but what he is doing with [goalkeepers Ricardo Goss and Veli [Mothwa] at Bafana Bafana. The competition they give him is what makes him better.
“The coaching department believes in him, the confidence and it’s all about him to execute.”
Onyango, 39, is also honoured to work with Williams and that the leadership for the club and country has been excellent. “It’s incredible and, for a goalkeeper, he has done a fantastic job. It is not easy especially for African players to be part of the Ballon d’Or nomination, it’s massive,” he said.
“I’m honoured to work with him and, of course, the club and the national team are very happy for him because he did a great job when he was with Bafana and showed leadership. For me, the leadership means he has been fantastic, and we hope for the best.”
SowetanLIVE
Foreign keepers give Broos a headache
Why Mngqithi was happy Sundowns got a red card against Polokwane
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos