No public voting: Process for Yashin Trophy, for which Ronwen Williams is nominated, explained

Contrary to some reports, the Fifa Ballon d’Or Yashin Trophy for which Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has been nominated is not selected by a public voting process.

Williams made history in early September by becoming the first goalkeeper to be nominated for the trophy while playing for an African club.

The Ballon d’Or presented by magazine France Football, since 1956, to its best footballer of the northern hemisphere season. It is normally presented in October. It should not be confused with Fifa’s Best Award, which is normally presented at the end of a calendar year and covers that period.

The Ballon d’Or was presented in a five-year period where Fifa and France Football merged their awards from 2010 to 2015.

Confusion has reigned in South Africa since Williams’ nomination, with multiple reports stating the award is decided by public voting. The public have been encouraged to vote for Williams but have been directed to a poll being taken by another famous French sporting magazine, L'Equipe. France Football is part of the L'Equipe group.

This is not an official voting platform. A panel of journalists from the top 100 Fifa-ranked nations for men’s football and the top 50 for women’s football cast the votes. The journalists rank their top five players with points awarded by the rank: first place gets six points, second place gets four, third gets three, fourth gets two and fifth gets one point.

Williams clarified the winner of the prestigious award is not determined by public votes. 

“We need to correct the statement that’s been going around. It’s not solely based on votes; there is a judging panel and I think they will have the final say,” he said in an interview with SABC Sport.

Despite this, Williams remains hopeful the overwhelming public support in the L'Equipe poll will influence the judges' decision.

“I think the votes can maybe sway their decision because that’s why they opened the platform for votes.

“I'm just happy the country is behind me. I’ve seen the growth, especially in the voting, and when we get together as a country it’s amazing. It’s not about Ronwen Williams; it’s about the young children I'm seeing out here, to inspire them to dream big.”

The Yashin Trophy is named after great Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

The former SuperSport United player is the fourth African goalkeeper to be nominated for the award after Cameroonian Andre Onana, Senegalese Edouard Mendy and Moroccan Yassine Bounou. 

His nomination comes after making international headlines in February with his superb exploits helping Bafana Bafana win the bronze medal at this year's Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Williams saved four penalties in a quarterfinal shoot-out win over Cape Verde to take Bafana to their first semifinal in 24 years.

He kept five clean sheets in seven games at the Nations Cup, four of those in succession and conceded three goals to be named goalkeeper of the tournament. He also helped steer Sundowns to the 2023-2024 Caf Champions League semifinals and seventh Premiership title in succession with a record 72 points.

The other nominees are:

• Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto);
• Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain);
• Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund);
• Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid);
• Mike Maignan (France, Milan);
• Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia);
• current holder Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa);
• Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club); and
• Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter).