30 years since AFCON 1996 final: Why Bafana Bafana still chase the gold standard

Three decades on, Mark Williams remains the nation builder: a revered hero celebrated even by those who never saw him play, although he would rather that mantle was passed on to a much younger player. But until Bafana Bafana win another Africa Cup of Nations or, as predicted by Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, are crowned world champions at the Fifa 2026 World Cup, Williams and the rest of the Class of 1996 will remain the standard by which all national teams are measured. There are those who feel it is a sad indictment of the local game that the senior national team has not...