A celebrity World XI drew three all with an equally high-profile African team at the Newlands Stadium, with players' ages ranging from the mid-20s to just touching on 50.

There was much panting among some of the greying and rather more weighty players in a slower-paced though good-natured contest that yielded its share of excitement, with four goals scored in the first 45 minutes -- two apiece.

The "Rest of the World" team scored the first goal through Chilean Ivan Zamorano, 40, in the sixth minute, with Ghanaian Abedi Pele, three years his senior, equalising for the Africans three minutes later.

The Pele goal was scored after several missed goal attempts from his team-mates which left one, forty-something South African Doctor Khumalo, flat on his back and laughing.

Egypt's Hossam Hassan, 41, scored the Africans' second goal in the 30th minute, matched in the 44th minute with a levelling goal by retired Dutch striker Ruud Gullit, 45.

The two second-half goals were scored by Hassan, in the 50th minute, and by Spain's Julen Guerrero in the 72nd.

Cameroonian star Samuel Eto'o, the youngster of the bunch at 24, had a difficult match with retired Spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, a man nearly twice his age, beating all his goal attempts.

The stars travelled from all over the world to display their somewhat ageing but technically enviable skills in a match to celebrate the life of Mandela, South Africa's first black president and Nobel peace prize laureate.

The match theme was "Say no to racism", key among Mandela's causes, as the African team wore white and their opponents black.

The celebrity group included Brazilian football legend Pele, 66, who took to the field briefly ahead of the match, 30 years after retiring from the sport.

He spent only a few minutes on the pitch in a light-coloured safari suit, jogging around the centre circle alongside Eto'o before ceremoniously kicking off for the World XI team.

Pele was applauded enthusiastically by some 35,000 soccer fans who had turned out for the match, particularly when he displayed some fancy footwork with a ball that crossed his path as he was making his way off the field.

Earlier in the day, the Brazilian told a press conference he was honoured to take part in proceedings, saying he had learnt many life lessons from Mandela.

"We must continue to fight in honour of Mr Mandela against racism and discrimination," he said.

In the morning, players old and new gathered for another special ceremony at the former South African prison colony that housed Mandela for 18 of his 27 years in jail for defying the whites-only apartheid regime.

They joined administrators and some of Mandela's fellow prisoners on Robben Island off the Cape coast to kick a symbolic 89 goals against racism.

"I am a son of Mandela. He has inspired me and fought for our continent. He inspired millions all over the world," said Liberian George Weah, a former world player of the year also known for his failed bid to become the president of Liberia.

Gullit, a former European player of the year and manager of Chelsea, said the lesson from Mandela's life was that "there is always hope."

"If you believe in yourself and fight hard for the right thing, you will succeed," he said.

Eto'o told a press conference this would be the best match he had ever played.

"It is a match to celebrate the life of a great person," he said. "I would like to come back to play more matches for the greatest person ever."

Mandela, known fondly in South Africa by his clan name Madiba, watched the game at home, and sent the players his best wishes.

South Africa is to host the 2010 football World Cup, a first for the continent.