Sports
W/Cup Finals Match Ball Raises Over N11m In Auction
A soccer ball used by Spain and the Netherlands in the World Cup final has been sold at auction for $74,000 to benefit Nelson Mandela’s campaign to prevent HIV/AIDS.
Proceeds from Friday’s eBay sale will go toward 46664, the program named after the number assigned to Mandela when he was imprisoned on Robben island.
Spain beat the Dutch 1-0 in Johannesburg on Sunday to win its first world title.
Many players likened the Adidas Jabulani ball used throughout the tournament to a “supermarket ball,” saying it was too unpredictable. The gold version used in the final was named “Jo’bulani.”
Ruth Szyszkowski of eBay says “interest in this particular piece seems not only heightened by the controversy surrounding it, but also the proceeds benefiting such a great cause.”