Former Bafana Bafana star striker Mark Williams has described former late South African State President Nelson Mandela as a liberator who opened up opportunities for SA sport and made it possible for many to realise their dreams.

Williams said it was because of Madiba that he and many other great SA footballers were able to play on an international stage as well as to achieve their ambitions of playing overseas.

“Before meeting Madiba I had heard a lot about this man. Coming from Cape Town, we never knew what we were fighting for and then came 1990 and we saw Cameroon playing in the World Cup. Then someone said to me that there is this man, Madiba who has just come out of prison and we might get the opportunity to play the likes of Cameroon,” he said.

Williams said that seemed like an impossible dream as South Africa was in isolation then and not yet readmitted into the global sporting arena.

“Then we heard that Cameroon was coming to play in South African and we did not know who had made it possible… then we found out it was Madiba. To think that this man had spent so many years in prison and yet when he came out he had time to make things happen for us was just unbelievable.

“The first time I personally met Madiba was in 1994 and when I shook his hand I just thought ‘he is so down to earth’ but when he talks to you, he looks at you in the eyes and it’s almost as if there are no other people around. You immediately got the feeling like there was fire being lit in you as he was talking to you,” Williams added.