Man City Fans Get Chance to Sign Nelson Mandela's Giant Birthday Card

A giant birthday card has been built to celebrate apartheid icon Nelson Mandela's 95th birthday.

The card, three metres wide and four metres long, has been unveiled at a Pretoria sports stadium.

"To a larger than life icon we dedicate a larger than life birthday card," the message inside reads. "Happy birthday Madiba".

Born on 18 July 1918, Mandela is now in critical but stable condition at a Pretoria hospital, to which he was admitted on 8 June with a lung infection.

Despite the sombre mood, South Africa is preparing grand celebrations for the former president's birthday.

The giant card will be on display for the public to sign at two football matches in Madiba's honour in Pretoria and in Durban.

The Nelson Mandela Football Invitational games, scheduled for 14 and 18 July, will feature British football team Manchester City.

The Citizens will be up against Supersport United FC at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld stadium before moving to Durban to play AmaZulu FC at the Moses Mabhida stadium.

Man City fans following the team will have the chance to write their name alongside thousands of others - organisers expect around 10,000 people to sign the card.

The first to sign the super-sized card was Kgosientso Ramokgopa, executive mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan City, the town-conglomerate which includes Pretoria.