Brazilian football pledges $50,000 to Mandela Foundation

Rio de Janeiro, March 5: Brazil’s Football Confederation will donate $50,000 of the proceeds from Wednesday’s friendly against South Africa to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The match in Johannesburg will also feature other tributes to Mandela, who died in December, and a celebration marking 20 years since the end of apartheid, Xinhua quoted Brazilian news portal Terra as saying.

The South African team shirt will feature the figure 46,664 which was Mandela’s registration number at the Robben Island prison, where he served a 27-year sentence.

Brazil and South Africa last met in a friendly in September 2012 when the Selecao won 1-0 in Sao Paulo.

Wednesday’s clash is Brazil’s last before coach Scolari names his World Cup squad in May.