By Mark Gleeson
ATLANTA, June 27 (Reuters) - If the first knockout clash at the World Cup on Sunday is forced to post-match penalties, then South Africa's Ronwen Williams is just the man for the job.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper, also captain of the side, has built his reputation on penalty saves and made some key stops to help both club and country.
He could be a key factor if the opening last-32 tie against Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday goes to penalties following a stalemate at the end of extra time.
Williams saved four penalties in a single shootout in 2024 against Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in a dramatic one-man show that helped earn him the tournament's best goalkeeper award and a nomination later that year at the Ballon d'Or awards.
He did it again in the third-place playoff match as South Africa won bronze by beating the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties, with Williams pulling off two acrobatic stops.
Only last month, at the African Champions League final, Williams stopped a late penalty to ensure that his club Mamelodi Sundowns became continental champions.
He also has a winning record in post-match shootouts in South African domestic football.
"You need to be a student of the game, that's what I've learnt over the years," said Williams, who credits regular homework on penalty-kick takers for his success. He also gets a lot of help from team analysts.
"They send me so many clips, my phone is full. It's not easy to get footage of some of the players because they play all over the world."
Ahead of a player taking a penalty against him, Williams usually indulges in some trash talking. "You just try to mess with their mind a bit and make them indecisive," he said.
Moving up and down the goal line and waving his arms is another attempt at distraction.
"Players know that we are studying them as well. The goal is so big that players are supposed to score, so we have to do everything we can to make it seem smaller," he added.
Williams also draws inspiration before facing each penalty as he looks to the heavens. His brother Marvin died in a car crash when Williams was 18. "Sometimes I ask him to take control and show me which way to go. He's like my guardian angel," he said.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Atlanta; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
