South African Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams Closing in on AFCON Clean-sheet Record

South African goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams is on the brink of equaling a major Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) record during the ongoing tournament in Ivory Coast. The 32-year-old shot-stopper has been consistently delivering exceptional performances between the sticks as he leads his national team, Bafana Bafana, in their quest for AFCON glory.

According to statistics provided by OptaJabu, Williams is just one clean sheet away from matching the legendary Andre Arendse’s record for the most number of clean sheets in a single AFCON tournament. During the 1996 edition of the tournament, which South Africa eventually won, Arendse registered an impressive four clean sheets, only conceding two goals throughout the competition.

In the current 2023 edition, Williams has already achieved three clean sheets, allowing only two goals in their opening match against Mali. He successfully kept clean sheets against Namibia, 2004 African champions Tunisia, and most recently against 2023 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists Morocco.

If Williams manages to keep a clean sheet in Bafana Bafana’s upcoming match against Cape Verde, he will match Arendse’s record. However, this task may prove challenging as the tournament has now reached the knockout stages. The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 3 February, at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro.