..., becomes first African in World Cup final

Ex-Ghana defender Tony Baffoe made history on Sunday when he became the first black man to lead out two teams in a World Cup final as he led Germany and Argentina onto the pitch in the final match of the tournament in Brazil.

Baffoe, who is the FIFA general coordinator for matches at the Maracana in Rio during the 2014 World Cup, led the two teams onto the pitch minutes before kick-off.

The Ghanaian subsequently gave the directives to the referee to kick-off the match with millions of people watching the game worldwide in the world's biggest sporting event.

He becomes the first black man and African to be handed such a big responsibility at the World Cup.

“This is an incredibly exciting task. The entire world is looking at us, and I am sure we have got it under control,” Baffoe said.

FIFA gave Baffoe the chance to be its general coordinator for Rio’s Maracana stadium knowing that he will be there to lead the proceedings in the final.

His performance, delivery and attention to detail and diligence in previous tournaments in his work for FIFA, as well as his fluency in seven international languages, have catapulted him to the top.