Mandela wore a yellow Bafana Bafana team jersey with the number four of captain Aaron Mokoena on the back when he appeared with players at his foundation in Johannesburg.

Also 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. The announcement came amid worries the 91-year-old icon would be too frail to attend South Africa's biggest sporting event.

“Madiba will grace both the opening and the closing of the World Cup,” Mthembu said, using the traditional clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known in South Africa. “We are very honored to have an icon of Mandela's caliber to grace this important event. We are very happy that Madiba will come. The Madiba magic will add to the excitement.” 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.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Wednesday World Cup organizers desperately hoped Mandela would make the opening game. Blatter said the World Cup would not be the same without Mandela, and that his presence would be the “highlight” of the event.

South Africa's former president retired from public life in 2004, but made a surprise appearance last year at an ANC rally before the national election. Mandela now makes very few appearances in public, but was photographed with the World Cup trophy last month.

He has been credited by FIFA as one of the architects of Africa's first World Cup. In December 2009, he recorded a video message on the significance of the event.

“We feel privileged and humbled that South Africa has been given the singular honor of being the African host country,” Mandela said in the message. “We must strive for excellence in our hosting of the World Cup while at the same time ensuring that the event leaves a lasting benefit to all our people.” On Thursday, he was greeted by South Africa's most famous soccer players, who sang “Nelson Mandela there is no one like you,” as he entered the room at his offices in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton.