Nelson Mandela will not attend the opening ceremony of the World Cup following the death of his great granddaughter in a car accident on Thursday, the South African organising committee have confirmed.

It had been hoped that the iconic 91-year-old would be able to attend but the tragic news means he will not be present at Soccer City for the opening extravaganza.

A statement read: "It would be inappropriate for him to personally attend the FIFA World Cup opening celebrations. We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy."