The tournament kicks off in five days time and after months of speculation that the stadia might not be ready and the infrastructure might not be in place to host the games, Zuma is certain South Africa will prove the doubters wrong.

"South Africa is more than ready. For us the World Cup has already begun," Zuma said. "We are truly pleased and humbled to host the world in our country for this historical and extraordinary event."

Zuma praised former president Mandela for his work in delivering the tournament to South Africa and admitted that he hopes the 91-year-old will be well enough to attend the finals.

"At this point it is proper for me to acknowledge and thank our founding president and icon, Nelson Mandela, for his visionary leadership and statesmanship," Zuma said. "He also worked hard personally to bring us to this glorious moment."

"He would love to be there. Whether he will be there on the day depends entirely on the former president. If he did not appear we would understand. If he is there it will be a bonus for this tournament. We wish he would be there."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who met Mandela last week, said "it's his wish to be present and his spirit will be present" even if he is not able to attend.

Source:  ESPN  Soccernet