Hosts South Africa will be among the 2009 Confederations Cup seeds, world football governing body Fifa announced in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Bafana Bafana will also feature in the opening match of the two-week tournament, a Group A fixture at Ellis Park on June 14, and that the other seeded countries would be named soon.
World Cup holders Italy and confederation champions Brazil, Egypt, Iraq, New Zealand, Spain and the United States complete the line-up ahead of the November 22 draw for the quadrennial ”festival of champions”.
The challengers for a title held by Brazil will be split into two pools with nations from the same confederation separated, meaning Egypt will be in Group B and Italy and Spain are kept apart.
Being seeded is a boost for South Africa, who are below five of the other seven teams in the Fifa rankings and who also failed to qualify for the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola after winning just one of five qualifiers.
Bafana are set to dodge Brazil, who defeated Argentina 4-1 in the previous final four years ago in Germany, and Italy or Spain in the traditional dress rehearsal for the World Cup.
The Confederations Cup has assumed extra importance for South Africa amid international media concerns over building deadlines, regular power supply, supporters’ security and infrastructure.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has urged SA officials to use the Confederations Cup to dispel doubts about the ability to host the World Cup. – AFP
