Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Carlos Queiroz met with Nelson Mandela ahead of the World Cup and gave him a jersey with the No. 91 on the back.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Carlos Queiroz met with Nelson Mandela ahead of the World Cup and gave him a jersey with the No. 91 on the back.
The Portuguese Football Federation said Ronaldo and Queiroz went to Mandela's home in Johannesburg following "a personal invitation" from the former South African president.
The back of the Portugal jersey had Mandela's name and the No. 91 - his current age.
The statement posted on the federation website Thursday gave no further details. Queiroz is a former coach of South Africa and guided the national team to the 2002 World Cup.
Yesterday, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said it had been "inundated with requests for meetings, and it will be impossible for Mr Mandela to accede to even a small fraction of these."
"Mr Mandela's diary will remain closed for the duration of the World Cup," the foundation said, while adding the former president "remains in good health." Mandela, who turns 92 on July 18, has largely retired from public life.
There has been speculation he would make an appearance at the World Cup opening ceremony today, when South Africa plays Mexico.
He was not included in a list of dignitaries and important figures who confirmed their attendance, though his former wife, Winnie Mandela, was included.
"He wants to attend and it will depend on his feeling on that day," Rich Mkhondo of the local organizing committee said. "There is an open invitation for him and he will decide tomorrow morning if he attends or not. "If he doesn't, we understand, and if he does we will be excited."
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
