Pretoria - The presence of German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in the quarter-final clash between her country and Argentina will be a major boost to the German players, says team captain, Philipp Lahm.
The two football powerhouses will face each other in what is expected to be one of the most thrilling matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday at 16:00.
"The technical staff informed us about the possible visit by the Chancellor to the quarter-final match and all of us were delighted about it.
"As players, we view her support as very crucial at this moment and we believe that her presence at the match venue will boost our morale in the field. We are looking forward to meeting her in Cape Town," he said.
Lahm was speaking to reporters at the team's Hotel in Erasmia on Thursday before they jetted-off to Cape Town for their Saturday clash against Argentina.
Merkel passed through Accra to meet Ghanaian Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Betty Mould-Idrissu on Thursday before flying to South Africa.
Together with her 40-member delegation, the German Chancellor is expected to leave South Africa on Sunday.
When the two teams met during the 2006 World Cup, Germany beat Argentina 4-2 during a penalty shoot-out.
