South Africa, Feb. 12 -- More than a football triumph, it was a defining cultural moment in a country only two years into democracy; a moment when a fractured nation briefly felt like one team.

Now, Class of '96: Rise of a Nation revisits that extraordinary chapter in South Africa's history, peeling back the layers of celebration to reveal the complexity, pressure and fragile unity behind the triumph.

More than a game: A country finding itself

The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations victory arrived at a pivotal time. South Africa was re-entering the global stage after decades of isolation. Institutions were being rebuilt. Trust was still fragile. Identity was still forming.

"For many South Africans, that tournament was the first time they felt...