The president of South Africa's football association has called on fans to attend the upcoming Nelson Mandela Challenge encounter against Egypt on 6 September.

"This annual tournament is in honour of one of the greatest icons ever to live in this world," Dr. Danny Jordaan told SAFA's official website on Friday.

"He is the proud Father of our Nation; in the late Tata Nelson Mandela, we are sanctified as a nation to have been blessed by such an extraordinary human being," he added.

"It is for this reason that whatever we do as South Africans, we must take any event in honour of Nelson Mandela seriously. We want Orlando Stadium to be packed to the rafters as a tribute to such an amazing human being," said the SAFA president.

The Pharaohs arrived in South Africa early on Friday to play a friendly against the Bafana Bafana within their preparations for the African 2018 World Cup qualifiers that will kick off next month.

"Through this match, it helps us live this legacy because most of the proceeds go towards helping make a difference in the lives of our young children through the fund established by Madiba. Tata cherished the wellbeing of children and the needy and besides being a wonderful match pitting the South and North; it is an opportunity for the public to make a contribution towards a worthy cause," Jordaan concluded.

South Africa, who are third in Group M of the 2017 Africa Cup of nations qualifiers with six points, will face second-placed Mauritania on Friday in the final round of the group stage games.

In June, World Cup-hungry Egypt were drawn in a tight group at the 2018 qualifiers' final round alongside Ghana, Congo and Uganda. South Africa have been drawn in Group D alongside Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cape Verde.

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