World Cup Blogging



South Africa rallies behind Ghana in World Cup quarter-final

JOHANNESBURG — Nelson Mandela led South Africans in rallying around Ghana for their World Cup quarter-final match against Uruguay on Friday, Africa's last hope at the tournament, as powerhouse Brazil crashed out.

South Africa's Bafana Bafana were knocked out in the group stages, but with Ghana only the third African team ever to reach the quarter-finals, they have been adopted as "BaGhana" and cheered as the home side.

"We join everybody on the continent and in the diaspora in wishing you success in the tournament going forward," Mandela said in a letter to Ghana's football association.

The sentiment was echoed across Johannesburg ahead of the match at Soccer City stadium, as street vendors largely swapped their Bafana kit for scarves, beanies and flags in Ghana's colours.

"It's time for BaGhana" said The Star newspaper while The Times proclaimed "We Ghana win it".

"Almost a billion Africans are standing behind Ghana's Black Stars -- the continent's last hope of keeping the World Cup on home soil," it said.

At my borg where I work, in the sweepstake I ended up picking Ghana and also I put a £1 bet on them winning the World Cup.

So have much interest in tonight's match, will be cheering the Blackstars!