Former South African president Nelson Mandela has made a brief appearance at the Soccer City stadium to greet fans ahead of the World Cup final in Johannesburg.
The 91-year-old anti-apartheid leader and his wife broadly smiled and waved to the tens of thousand of fans as they were driven around the field in a small golf cart. The appearance, which lasted just a few minutes, was Mr. Mandela's first at the World Cup.
Earlier, Mr. Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, accused FIFA of exerting "extreme pressure" on the former president to attend the World Cup final and called football's governing body "inconsiderate" because the family is still in mourning.
Mr. Mandela skipped the opening game of the World Cup following the death of his great-granddaughter. Thirteen-year-old Zenani Mandela was killed in a car accident while returning home from the World Cup opening concert.
This is the first World Cup hosted by an African nation.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
