Nelson Mandela is determined he will attend the opening game of the World Cup in Johannesburg in a week's time because it would realize his dream, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Friday after meeting the former president. Speculation is intense over whether the 91-year-old, South Africa's most famous citizen, will be well enough to attend any of the World Cup games. He is not suffering from a specific illness but is reported to be very frail. Blatter revealed he had a brief meeting with Nelson Mandela Thursday, and the icon had said he wanted to be at next week's opening game. “All I can say is that he (Mandela) is convinced that he shall be at the opening,” Blatter said. “He wants to be there because he wants to live up to his dream. We just cross fingers that his dream will be realized ... and he will honor the opening and the kickoff to this World Cup.” On Thursday, African National Congress spokesman Jackson Mthembu said Mandela will make a rare public appearance at next week's tournament opener, between the host and Mexico, and the July 11 final. A spokesman at Mandela's foundation would not say if Mandela would attend next Friday's match, saying they do not disclose his schedule ahead of time for security reasons. Blatter handed over the World Cup trophy Friday to South Africa's vice president Kgalema Motlanthe, who said the glittering prize will remain in Africa. Motlanthe, acting in place of President Jacob Zuma, took charge of the World Cup on the steps of the Union Buildings in the capital Pretoria. At the Union Buildings around 50 members of the presidential staff, wearing colorful scarves and hats, watched the trophy handover and blew on their vuvuzela trumpets. Motlanthe, who had a yellow South African football shirt on, said Africa's first World Cup marked a turning point in the history of the competition. The World Cup later appeared in Soweto where it was put on display at a community center hall. Fans, mostly groups of noisy schoolchildren, were allowed one minute next to the glistening gold trophy to take photos before being hurried along. Nearby, Johannesburg city officials unveiled a giant poster of Mandela smiling and holding the World Cup trophy. The image, captured in Zurich in 2004 when South Africa won its bid to host the tournament, was hung from the city's Mandela Bridge throughout the tournament.
