 The FIFA Confederations Cup represents the very best in football that each continent has to offer. It is festival of champions, and presents Bafana Bafana an opportunity test their skills against the best the world can offer. The tournament is coming to South Africa in June 2009 and will take place from June 14 to June 28. The tournament is held every four years by FIFA and contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships. (CAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, OFC CONCAF North and central America and the Caribbean), along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host country (South Africa in this instance), to bring the number of teams up to eight.
The 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa comprises of six champions from six continents including Italy (World Champions) and Host Nation South Africa who are also set to host World Cup in 2010. The tournament serves as the warm up for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. Included in the list of participating nations is recent European Champions in the form of Spain as well as Egypt (African Champions), Iraq (Asia), New Zealand (Oceania), United States (CONCAF) and Brazil (South America).
The tournament will take place within four cities, which is Johannesburg, Bloemfontein/Mangaung, Rustenburg and Pretoria/Tshwane. The competition is structured in a similar fashion to the FIFA World Cup, comprising of a group stage followed by a knock out competition. Those teams that qualify for the knock out competition will progress to the semi-finals and ultimately either the third place match in Rustenburg or the final on June 28 at Coca Cola Park in Johannesburg.
History of the FIFA Confederations Cup
 The Confederations Cup started life as the King Fahd Cup invitational tournament which pitted hosts and organisers Saudi Arabia against three chosen opponents in 1992 and 1995. It was in 1997 that it became an official FIFA tournament and was renamed the FIFA Confederation Cup. From 2005, the scheduling of this previously biannual competition was changed to see it played it played once every four years and staged the year before the FIFA World Cup in the Host country.
Germany have only played in two Confederations Cups, despite being eligible for four. For the 2005 tournament, with Brazil the holders of both the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup, Argentina filled the extra slot, as they had finished runners-up in the Copa America. Curiously despite its Champions of Champions' nickname, the winner of the FIFA Confederations Cup has never gone onto to win the FIFA World Cup the following year.
On three previous occasions teams have declined to participate in the tournament. The UEFA Euro 1996 winner Germany declined to participate in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup and was replaced by Czech Republic, the runner-up in that tournament. France, 1998 FIFA World Cup winner, declined to participate in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and was replaced by Brazil, the 1998 World Cup runner-up (and also 1997 Copa America champion). Germany, the runner-up in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, declined to take part in 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup and was replaced by Turkey, the third-placed team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. |
