Archbishop Desmond Tutu has urged South Africans to wholeheartedly support Bafana Bafana in their do-or-die World Cup match later today.
Tutu’s call for support was reported on by The Star which headlined the article: "Storm the Bastille, Bafana".
"Win or lose, in many respects we have already won the World Cup," Tutu said.
"As South Africans, we need to pat ourselves on the back for having achieved something very special in terms of developing fantastic infrastructure, ensuring that it works, and uniting our people," he said.
Although South Africa is still very divided in terms of race and culture, the World Cup has done a wonderful job in uniting our nation.
"What we are experiencing in the country today is probably something that we last saw after the release of president Nelson Mandela from prison," government spokesperson Themba Maseko told a news conference.
"After this World Cup, we are hoping to keep demonstrating unity as South Africans."