<p>The anti-apartheid icon had kept a low profile during the month-long tournament, having decided against attending the opening game following the death of his great-grand daughter.<br /><br />Driven in a small golf cart alongside wife Graca Machel, a smiling Mandela was welcomed by a thunderous mix of vuvuzelas and roars from the crowd. He shook hands with officials before leaving the field a few minutes later.<br /><br />Shakira, backed by South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground, did one last rendition of the cup’s theme tune, ``Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’’ after a lights show and fireworks.<br /><br />Also performing Sunday was Grammy Award-winning cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.<br /><br />The ceremony was attended by heads of state from across Africa, including South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.<br /><br />Dutch and Spanish royals were also present, as were Archbishop Desmon Tutu and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. They were rubbing shoulders with the likes of model Naomi Campbell, tennis star Rafael Nadal and Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman.<br /><br />Dancers wearing the colors of the 32 competing nations performed before a backdrop of pictures of stars and fans beamed onto the pitch; others dressed in white elephant costumes made their way onto the field toward large image of a watering hole.<br />Themes included pantsula and gumboot dancing and local jazz - all touchstones of South African music.<br /><br />Dutch and Spanish fans led a carnival atmosphere before the match, embracing police officers outside the stadium and posing for photographs while blowing vuvuzelas, the horn whose sound has become synonymous with the 2010 tournament.<br /><br />Some had doubted South Africa’s ability to stage a successful tournament, but the matches were played before mostly capacity and joyous crowds. The competition, the first to be held in Africa, was free of any major incidents.<br /><br />“We are coming to the end of a historic, vibrant and very African FIFA Soccer World Cup,” South African President Jacob Zuma had said on the eve of the final as celebrities started swarming Johannesburg.<br /><br />Extra flights from the Netherlands and Spain had jetted into Johannesburg as supporters scrambled to be part of the historic final that will see a first-time winner among either teams. Throughout the Netherlands entire streets were lined with orange flags and some homes have been covered with plastic sheets in the national colour.<br /><br />And in Spain, at least 150,000 fans of La Roja (the Reds) crammed the centre of Madrid to watch the game.</p>
<p>The anti-apartheid icon had kept a low profile during the month-long tournament, having decided against attending the opening game following the death of his great-grand daughter.<br /><br />Driven in a small golf cart alongside wife Graca Machel, a smiling Mandela was welcomed by a thunderous mix of vuvuzelas and roars from the crowd. He shook hands with officials before leaving the field a few minutes later.<br /><br />Shakira, backed by South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground, did one last rendition of the cup’s theme tune, ``Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’’ after a lights show and fireworks.<br /><br />Also performing Sunday was Grammy Award-winning cappella group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.<br /><br />The ceremony was attended by heads of state from across Africa, including South Africa’s Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.<br /><br />Dutch and Spanish royals were also present, as were Archbishop Desmon Tutu and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. They were rubbing shoulders with the likes of model Naomi Campbell, tennis star Rafael Nadal and Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman.<br /><br />Dancers wearing the colors of the 32 competing nations performed before a backdrop of pictures of stars and fans beamed onto the pitch; others dressed in white elephant costumes made their way onto the field toward large image of a watering hole.<br />Themes included pantsula and gumboot dancing and local jazz - all touchstones of South African music.<br /><br />Dutch and Spanish fans led a carnival atmosphere before the match, embracing police officers outside the stadium and posing for photographs while blowing vuvuzelas, the horn whose sound has become synonymous with the 2010 tournament.<br /><br />Some had doubted South Africa’s ability to stage a successful tournament, but the matches were played before mostly capacity and joyous crowds. The competition, the first to be held in Africa, was free of any major incidents.<br /><br />“We are coming to the end of a historic, vibrant and very African FIFA Soccer World Cup,” South African President Jacob Zuma had said on the eve of the final as celebrities started swarming Johannesburg.<br /><br />Extra flights from the Netherlands and Spain had jetted into Johannesburg as supporters scrambled to be part of the historic final that will see a first-time winner among either teams. Throughout the Netherlands entire streets were lined with orange flags and some homes have been covered with plastic sheets in the national colour.<br /><br />And in Spain, at least 150,000 fans of La Roja (the Reds) crammed the centre of Madrid to watch the game.</p>
