Why Ronwen Williams is peaking in his 30s but not Itu Khune?

Why Ronwen Williams is peaking in his 30s but not Itu Khune?

Bafana Bafana captain Captain Ronwen Williams’s success differs from the one of long-serving Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

Khune made his debut for Amakhosi 17 years ago at age 20 and has been a star not only for the Glamour Boys but also for the national team. His shot-stopping abilities and distribution made him one of the best African keepers in the late 2000s.

He was undoubtedly Bafana’s best player leading to the 2010 World Cup. During the Confederation Cup, Khune saved David Villa’s penalty against Spain to introduce himself to the world.

After the 2010 World Cup, the former Mzansi no.1 continued to lead SA in goals, whilst captaining Chiefs. Despite competition from Moneep Josephs and Senzo Meyiwa, Khune remained untouched as Bafana’s first-choice keeper.

While Khune was at the peak of his powers in his mid-20s, Ronwen Williams had just started his professional career. Having come from the SuperSport United academy, ‘Rony’ had a brilliant debut in 2012. He kept a clean sheet in his debut and months later, he established himself as the club’s number-one keeper.

At the time, the current Bafana captain was starting his career, Itu was winning Player of the Season awards and inspiring Chiefs to Cup doubles. Injuries and loss of form affected Khune in the 2014/15 season and was unable to play in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. Williams on the other hand, was inconsistent with then Ex-Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba opting to go with Darren Keet, Jackson Mabokgwane and Brilliant Khuzwayo.

Ronwen Williams and Khune’s success should be celebrated

Khune returned to form and captain SA U/23 in the 2016 Rio Olympics and also captained Bafana in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. At the time, the keeper was 30 and seemed to lose the edge that made him the country’s top keeper. Chiefs brought in Daniel Akpeyi as back up but the Nigerian shot-stopper became Amakhosi’s number one.

As Khune’s form dropped, Ronwen Williams led SuperSport quietly and became Bafana’s first-choice keeper. After the 2019 Afcon, Williams, at 27, became the country’s first-choice keeper.

Although for years, there have been doubts about the Gqeberha-born keeper’s abilities, he proved his worth at this year’s Afcon. Williams inspired South Africa to a third finish in Ivory Coast having made crucial saves along the way.

Many are asking why did Khune deep in his 30s, while Ronwen Williams matured as soon as he reached 30.

The common belief is that a goalkeeper is like fine wine, maturing with age and reaching their peak years in the latter stages of their careers. You look at the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Edwin van der Sar and Andre Arendse, all played in their 40s. In modern football, that notion has changed somewhat as we’ve seen the likes of David de Gea, Ike Casillas and Joe Hart all peaking in their late 20s but struggling for consistency in their 30s.

Khune, unlike Ronwen Williams, belongs to a group of keepers who peaked in their mid to late 20s. Injuries and off-field incidents have led to the Chiefs and Bafana legend to peak earlier than usual.

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