The excitement has begun with the FIFA Confederations Cup halfway through in South Africa. Call it a dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup or a recce for national teams, either way it sure has thrown up some dazzling soccer, and its fair share of upsets! Into its eighth edition, the Confederations Cup is sometimes not clearly understood? What exactly is it? How and when did it start? And what are the stakes? Let’s find out…
It began as the King Fahd Cup in 1992, with the four continental cup winning teams of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, USA and Ivory Coast playing each other. When FIFA took over in 1997, it was renamed the Confederations Cup and was held every two years. But in 2005, FIFA declared that it would now take place once in four years, that too, a year before the final of the World Cup in the host country. And so, with less than 365 days to go for the 2010 World Cup, this year’s eight team Confederations Cup is well underway in South Africa.
Though its roots are rather humble, it has grown in importance over the years. Now, countries send their national teams at almost full strength making for an impressive line up! This year the only biggies missing are Ronaldinho (Brazil), who was dropped by coach Dunga, and Andres Iniesta (Spain), who has been kept out due to an injury. South Africa gains an automatic entry as hosts of the 2010 World Cup along with Italy as the 2006 World Cup winners. The other participating teams are Brazil, Spain, Egypt, USA, Iraq and New Zealand.
So what makes the Confederations Cup so special? Well, for starters it gives host South Africa a chance to test its operational readiness in terms of stadia, infrastructure and transportation prior to the 2010 World Cup. It is also an opportunity for the players to make their mark and teams to go through the drill on the pitch in this precursor to the World Cup. The opening match held on the 14th of June saw host team South Africa, proudly wearing its national team uniforms, draw against Iraq in front of an almost packed to capacity stadium. Out of the total 640,000 tournament tickets, 453,218 have already been sold. FIFA is likely to dedicate one of the Confederations Cup matches in honor of Marc-Vivien Foe, the Cameroon midfielder who tragically died of cardiac arrest on the pitch during the 2003 Confederations Cup in France…
After much controversy surrounding the choice of South Africa as host to the World Cup, the success of the Confederations Cup is a shot in the arm for the nation. As FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, assured the world during the opening ceremony at Ellis Park, “FIFA is committed to Africa… The world of football trusts you, and the confidence is in you. It is in Africa, it is in South Africa today.” Yes! This is where the action is, so get your old faithful soccer jersey out of your cupboard and wear it even if your favorite team is not playing! There’s no better way to get into the spirit of the game!
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