A statement from the Mandela Foundation said Ghana, the only African team to reach the last eight at this year’s finals, had asked to meet Mandela to pass on their respects after his great-granddaughter Zenani Mandela, 13, died in a car crash last month.
Her death forced Mandela to cancel plans to attend the World Cup’s opening game between hosts South Africa and Mexico on June 11, dampening the mood at the start of the global spectacle.
