'I can guarantee you, Ronwen Williams is a striker'

Williams made waves even beyond the borders of South Africa and the larger continent with his penalty shootout heroics – saving four of Cape Verde's five spot-kicks in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final victory in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire on Saturday.

READ: Williams credits Bafana's video analyst on historic night at AFCON

Williams' father Rodney is an immensely proud parent, who also stayed up until the early hours of Sunday morning to watch the nerve-wrecking moments that ultimately turned into history as Bafana reached an AFCON semi-final for the first time in 24 years.

"Yoh, it was hectic. I was clinching onto the TV. But I had no doubt in my mind, that he was going to save at least one or two – but not four, no. That was outstanding," Rodney told the truBreakfast team on Monday.

"I was very proud of him, as a father, knowing where he came from – as a little boy, he left PE [Gqeberha] at the age of 12, and went to Jo'burg to join SuperSport United.

"Yoh, it wasn't easy, really, it wasn't easy to leave your son, your baby son, to go into the world. But, at the end of the day, it was worth it."

Despite Ronza's impressive shot-stopping ability, Mr. Williams further noted how he still believes the world has yet to see how good his son really is on the other side of the pitch – as a striker.

"Ronwen was at about the age of seven when he joined Shatterprufe Rovers [amateur club in Gqeberha], but not as a goalkeeper, as a striker. He started as a striker, and that is what many people don't know," he added.

"I wish that one day he will get a chance to play in-field, then South Africa will see the different side of Ronwen – I can guarantee you, he's a striker."

Williams will next be in action in the AFCON semis against continental powerhouses Nigeria – perhaps not as a striker, though in his more renowned position between the posts.

Catch the match LIVE on SABC Sport Channel, SABC + and sabcsport.com.