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Mandela gives Bafana some Madiba magic Nelson Mandela donned the captain’s jersey on Thursday during a meeting with the national football team aimed at injecting them with a little of his Madiba magic. Former South African President Nelson Mandela shakes hands with South African national team soccer player Steven Pienaar as he poses with the team in Johannesburg in this handout picture released by the Nelson Mandela Foundation on June 3, 2010. The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup kicks off on June 11. REUTERS/Zwidephotos/Nelson Mandela Foundation/Handout Photograph by: HO Credit: REUTERS Nobel peace winner Mandela, 91, met the squad and their Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. In a statement, the foundation said the country’s first black president drew cheers and a song from the team when he arrived wearing a number 4 Bafana Bafana jersey. “Nelson Mandela there is no one like you,” they were reported to have sung. South Africa’s sports teams have often turned to Mandela for inspiration before a major tournament or game. The Springboks national rugby side credit him with inspiring them to a home victory over New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup, by showing immense enthusiasm for a sport once associated with the apartheid regime. The frail statesman, who played a central role in South Africa’s campaign to host the football World Cup, aims to do the same for Bafana Bafana, according to a report in Business Day newspaper. Mandela has requested tickets to the opening game next week between South Africa and Mexico, Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile told the paper. Mandela’s foundation, which represents the anti-apartheid icon, refused to confirm the report. “We don’t discuss Mr Mandela’s movements ahead of time because of security reasons,” Sello Hatang, spokesman for the foundation said. Source – Timeslive.co.za 2010 World Cup Blog for the Fans

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Bafana Get Madiba Magic