Ronwen Williams keeps his late brother Marvin close every time he steps onto the pitch. Marvin died in a car crash in 2010, and that loss has quietly shaped the goalkeeper into the man and leader he is today.
Now Williams carries that memory into the biggest moment of his career, captaining South Africa in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Mexico. The weight of the armband is real, but so is the source of strength behind it.
For Williams, this is personal long before it is professional. A brother lost too soon, a captain standing in the light of a global stage. That story alone is worth watching.
Originally published by BBC Africa.