Mark Williams remains one of South Africa’s most celebrated footballers, forever etched into the country’s sporting folklore for his role in Bafana Bafana’s historic 1996 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Williams famously scored a brace against Tunisia in the final, coming off the bench to inspire a 2–0 victory and secure South Africa’s first-ever AFCON title.
Those goals remain among the most replayed and cherished moments in the nation’s football history.
Mark Williams began his professional career at Jomo Cosmos, where his prolific scoring record of 22 goals in 28 matches quickly caught the attention of bigger clubs.
That form earned him a move to Mamelodi Sundowns in 1990. However, his stay with the Tshwane giants was short-lived, and he soon returned to Cape Town to join Hellenic.
In the mid-1990s, Williams enjoyed a brief spell abroad with English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Following his AFCON heroics, the retired striker joined Kaizer Chiefs for a season before moving to China, where he eventually brought his playing career to an end.
Mark Williams scored twice in AFCON final
Williams is best remembered for his contribution to the 1996 AFCON squad, finishing the tournament as joint second top scorer with four goals. His two-goal cameo in the final cemented his status as a national hero.
He earned 23 caps for Bafana, scoring eight international goals.
Where is Mark Williams now?
After retiring from professional football, Williams transitioned into broadcasting, providing commentary and analysis on football matches for SuperSport.
He also served as the South African national beach soccer coach and held coaching and advisory roles at clubs including SuperSport United and City Kings.
In November 2025, Williams’ contribution to South African football was formally recognised when he was inducted into the South African Hall of Fame, alongside legends such as Doctor Khumalo and Mark Fish.
In the same year, Mark Williams also started his foundation, which advocated for youth development through sports, education, mental health and GBV awareness.