South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani has heaped praise on all involved in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, claiming it "set the benchmark" for future tournaments in the country.
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Africa's biggest cup competition came to a climax at the National Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, with Nigeria seeing off Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final to clinch their third continental crown.
This year's installment was initially set to take part in Libya, although the north African country withdrew their bid due to political turmoil, with South Africa stepping in as host nation.
"In terms of the size and behaviour of the crowds, standard of play, organisation, and general atmosphere, the tournament has set a benchmark for future AFCON tournaments," Nematandani said in a statement on Monday.
"The atmosphere at the final was electric, and being beamed across the globe, again demonstrated Mzansi's ability to host major tournaments."
Bafana Bafana had seen their tournament come to an end at the quarter-final stage, but Nematandani still had plenty of praise for the country's citizens, who continued to flock to the stadia for the remaining fixtures.
"As a nation we did a great job in creating a hosting environment that made all of Africa feel welcome," he added.
"This morning I woke up as a proud South African, and am now looking forward to doing it all again in 2014 when South Africa hosts the African Nation Championships."
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