20100702
africanews

South African national icon Nelson Mandela declares his full support for Ghana - Africa's only hope in the 2010 World Cup - as they get set to battle it out with Uruguay in the quarter-final today. Mandela in a letter to the Ghana FA spurred the team on to make Africa proud by getting to the semi-final.

"On the historic occasion of the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted in Africa, it is a great pleasure to see that Ghana has reached the quarter finals," South Africa’s ex-president said in an AFP report.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation announced that the African icon has sent a letter to the Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi to spur the African runners-up on.

"We join everybody on the continent and in the diaspora in wishing you success in the tournament going forward," the letter read.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who turns 92 this month, was instrumental in bringing the FIFA World Cup to South Africa. Ghana is only the third African team to make the quarter-final.

A win over Uruguay would make them the first African side to be in the semi-final ever since the global football showpiece was instituted.