Earlier this morning, the Egyptian national team flew to South Africa suffering from a heavy defeat in World Cup qualifiers and leaving behind a shell-shocked nation. Can they make it up at the Confederations Cup? Inas Mazhar highlights the eight participating teams The Egyptians start their campaign in Blomfontein playing the opener on 15 June against Brazil. Brazil and Egypt have met four times before. Between 1960 and 1966 Egypt and Syria formed a joint association under the name the United Arab Republic (UAR). All four head-to- heads were friendlies played in Egypt. Brazil won on all occasions. In the first match in 1960, Garrincha scored the first of his 12 goals for the national team. In the second match in South Africa, Egypt faces the 2006 World Cup winners Italy in Johannesburg on 18 June. Italy won all four head- to-heads played against Egypt at the senior level. The last one, played more than 50 years ago in Milan, was won by the European side 5-1. Their most recent matches were at the Olympic football tournament in 1984 and the U-17 World Cup in 1987, both of which were won by Italy 1-0. The highest number of goals scored by Italy in a single match was against Egypt at the 1928 Olympics when the Azzurri won 11-3. The third match of the group stage for Egypt takes place on 21 June when the Pharaohs clash with the USA in the last match of Group D. Egypt and the US tied 1-1 in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Egypt ' s last appearance in a senior FIFA competition was in the 1999 Confederations Cup (FCC) in Mexico, where they tied two matches and lost one. The Egyptians are record winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, having won six times. They are also the only team to have won the title consecutively twice: 1957/1959, 2006/2008. Two of the six titles were won on penalties -- in 1986 against Cameroon and again in 2006 against Côte d'Ivoire. Both tournaments were played in Egypt. Egypt's only second stage qualification in a FIFA competition at a senior level was at the Olympics in 1928, when they lost the bronze medal to Italy 11-3. Egypt is the African team with the most Olympic football tournament participations (10, eight consecutively between 1920 and 1964), playing the most matches (28), and scoring the most goals (59). In the 1999 FCC, Egypt lost against Saudi Arabia 5-1, finishing with eight players due to red cards given to Abdel-Satar Sabri (28min), Hazem Emam (37min), and Ibrahim Hassan (80min). In the previous match against Mexico another player, Yasser Radwan, was sent off on the hour but Egypt was able to come up from 0-2 to 2-2 in the last 12 minutes. Of the eight participating teams, Iraq is the only team with no chance of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. They were eliminated in round 3 of the AFC preliminary tournament by Australia and Qatar. This is only Iraq's second participation in a senior national FIFA competition since the WC of 1986, when they lost all three matches against Paraguay, Belgium, and Mexico. Iraq's best achievement in a FIFA competition remains the bronze medal match at the Olympics in 2004, where they lost 1-0 to Italy. Their first win in a FIFA competition was on African soil in 1977, when the U-20 team defeated Austria 5-1. After finishing fourth at the 1976 Asian Cup, Iraq were absent from the competition for 20 years, returning only in 1996. Due to political reasons, Iraq have played most of their home matches on neutral ground, including the ones on the road to Mexico in 1986, their only WC qualification. The AFC preliminary home matches were played in Kuwait City, Calcutta, and twice in Taif (Saudi Arabia). Spain have yet to win a title in a FIFA competition at senior level, although they did win the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and two Futsal World Cups (2000 and 2004). Apart from finishing fourth in the 1950 WC finals, in their remaining 11 appearances Spain never progressed past the quarter finals, which they reached five times. Spain have already won a title in Africa -- in 1999 they triumphed in the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Nigeria with Iñaki Saez as coach. Casillas, Marchena and Xavi were part of the squad and later became European champions in 2008. Between the two European titles won in 1964 and 2008, Spanish clubs won six Champion's Leagues, six Cup Winner's Cups, six UEFA Cups, six UEFA Super Cups, and three Intercontinental Cups. In 2009, Europe will be represented by two teams for the third consecutive FCC -- France and Turkey competed in 2003, Germany and Greece in 2005, and Italy and Spain in 2009. The reigning European champion has won the FCC three times -- Denmark in 1995 and France in 2001 and 2003. The US are the only team to finish third twice at the FIFA Confederations Cup, in 1992 and 1999. The US played the first FCC match on 15 October 1992 when they lost 3-0 to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. They competed in the Copa America, the South America continental championship, three times, getting eliminated after the first stage in 1993 and 2007, and losing the third-place final against Colombia in 1995. Apart from South Africa and Italy, host and world champion respectively, the US were first to qualify for the 2009 FCC by winning the Gold Cup on 29 June 2007, some two weeks before Brazil's success in the Copa America and one month before Iraq's victory in the Asian Cup. Only Brazil (60) have played in more FIFA men's competitions than the US whose record currently stands at 47. The US women's team has won six titles (FIFA Women's World Cup 1991, 1999; the Olympics of 1996, 2004, 2008; and the FIFA U- 20 WWC 2002) while the men's best performance was in the 1930 WC when they won third place. The US were also runners-up at the FIFA Futsal World Cup in 1992. New Zealand's senior national team has never played a match in Africa. Among the FCC 2009 teams, New Zealand played the least number of matches (10) in the period following the FIFA World Cup 2006. Iraq played the highest number (43) followed by South Africa (40), Brazil and Spain (37), the USA (36), Italy (32), and Egypt (35). New Zealand have met five of the seven teams which qualified for the FCC 2009 -- everyone except the two European teams. In a total of 13 head-to-heads, the Oceanian team reported 12 defeats and one draw (1-1 in a friendly with Egypt, played in Mexico City in 1999). New Zealand lost all six matches played in previous FIFA Confederations Cups (1999 and 2003). With their 2008 victory in the Oceanian Nations Cup, New Zealand equalised Australia's record of four continental titles. To date, the only win for a New Zealand team in a FIFA final competition remains the 2-1 win over Poland in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship. Brazil are the only survivors from the FCC 2005. Since FIFA took over in 1997, they are the only team who have managed to qualify for the following FCC. Brazil are record participants, having played in all FCC competitions since 1997. Altogether, they have six participations, with 23 matches played, 13 wins, and 50 goals. Like France, they have won two titles (1997 and 2005) and like Argentina, they have played in three finals. A Brazilian, Dida, is the only player to have participated at five FCC competitions (1997- 2005). He has also played the most matches (22). Ronaldinho and Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Mexico) are joint FCC top goal-scorers with nine goals each -- Ronaldinho scored six goals in 1999 and three in 2005, and Blanco three in 1997 and another six in 1999. Among the teams holding continental titles, Brazil are the only team to have lost a match in their continental tournament, the Copa America. In 2007, Brazil lost 2-0 to Mexico in their debut match. The two largest FCC wins were recorded by Brazil -- in 1997 they beat Australia 6-0, and in 1999 Saudi Arabia 8-2. South Africa is the first African country to host a FIFA competition at senior level. Previously, Tunisia organised the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1977, Egypt the FIFA U-17 WC in 1997, and Nigeria the FIFA U-20 WC in 1999. The only title South Africa has won is the Africa Cup of Nations, hosted in 1996. South Africa were the first team to lose a FIFA Confederations Cup match despite scoring three goals when they were defeated by Uruguay 4-3 in 1997 with a late goal by Callejas in the last minute of the game. Spain are the only team which qualified for the FCC 2009 that South Africa has met previously at a World Cup. In 2002, Spain won 3-2 in a group match played in Daejon (KOR). Despite qualifying as the host team, South Africa played in the FWC African preliminary competition -- also a qualifying competition for the Africa Cup of Nations. They were eliminated and will not take part in the competition for the first time since 1996 when they were re- admitted. In 2005, South Africa competed at the CONCACAF Gold Cup where they remained unbeaten. After the first stage (one win, two draws) they were eliminated by Panama in the quarter final after penalties (1-1) This will be Italy's first FIFA Confederations Cup. They came close to qualifying in 2001, but lost the EURO 2000 final to France, who won thanks to a Golden Goal by Trezeguet in extra- time. Italy have won all three of their "A" matches played on African soil: 2-1 to Egypt in a 1953 World Cup qualifier, 3-0 to Czechoslovakia in a 1953 friendly played in Egypt, and 4-0 to Tunisia in a 2004 friendly. The reigning FIFA world champions have won the FIFA Confederations Cup three out seven times: Brazil in 1997, France in 2001, and Brazil again in 2005. Italy has won all five titles in FIFA competitions played on European soil: World Cups in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 -- held in Italy, France, Spain, and Germany respectively. The 1936 Olympic football tournament was played in Germany. Among the seven other teams which qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, New Zealand is the only association that Italy has never met at any level. Italy boasts the lowest average of goals conceded in the World Cup preliminary matches: 0.58 (45 goals in 78 matches).
