Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was in South Africa for the World Cup finals tie between Spain and Holland on July 11, according to a senior functionary of the government.

Rahul is apparently a big-time sports buff: he had also gone to watch Formula One races in Singapore last year and recently went deep water diving in the Maldives. In his spare time, he shoots pistol apart from playing football and cricket.

According to reports, Rahul's brother-in-law Robert Vadera and his son Rehan were with him in South Africa.

The Indian embassy in Johannesburg was asked to keep the Gandhi family members visit secret due to security issues, sources said, adding that Rahul kept a low profile throughout his visit and avoided  publicity.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel was also seen at the semi-finals and finals in South Africa. Patel, who is president of the All India Football Federation and a member of the executive committee of FIFA, had watched the previous four Cup finals too.

Patel, however, pleaded ignorance about Rahul's presence in the audience during the finals.