Dear Mr president, Nelson Mandela.

“Remember boys, this is the day your country went to the dogs” That was coach's words when he found out you were going to be are next president. As a team we didn't know what to think of you, including myself. Are first game, you were announced in front of thousands of people some cheered some booed and some threw cups at you and others held up are new South African flag. Are first match we played was horrible we played like no one really wanted it. When you called me and told me you wanted to talk to me I was nervous I didn't know if it was going to be a bad meeting or a good meeting and the minute I walked inside your office you made me feel very welcomed . You talked to me about the importance of leadership which made me believe that you had a lot of trust in me as a person and me as a captain.

In the beginning of this wonderful journey we weren't that close of a team but towards the end we were a family and we played like it and that's why we won the world cup. At one training site we saw a sign and it said “One Team One Country” which made me and everyone else on the team want to make are wonderful country happy with a world cup trophy in South Africa.

A couple days before the world cup are team went to Robben Island and one of security guards showed me your cell it was so small. I walked in your cell very slow trying to study every bit of it I looked at the only window in your cell and it wasn't a pretty view at all. The night before the biggest game of my life I was looking into the dark skies outside a window that was quite a bit bigger than the window you had at Robben Island,and my girlfriend came up to me and asked “are you thinking about the game tomorrow” and I said “no i'm thing about how you spend 30 years in a tiny cell and come out and forgive people”.

The first match of the season some people didn't liked you. But do you remember the world cup finals when they announced your name and everybody was cheering Nelson, Nelson, Nelson, that's how big of an impact you made to are country in such little time. And On that sunny day everyone was supporting us and now i'm proud to say we are world cup champions.

I wrote this letter to thank you for all that you have done for me and are team and are country and hopefully we can bring back another world cup trophy when you are in office, Thank you Mr president, Nelson Mandela.

One team one country

Sincerely, Francois Pienaar