A year before South Africa hosts the 2010 Fifa World Cup, they will go through a kind of a dress rehearsal to test their preparedness for the event when they host the six continental champions, plus the 2006 Fifa World Cup Winners along with Bafana Bafana qualifying for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup.

On Thursday morning at the ICC in Durban, Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke as well as the CEO of the 2010 Local Organizing Committee Danny Jordaan, former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs defender Lucas Radebe unveiled the Logo of the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup. According to Danny Jordaan it is a logo reflective of the African continents love for football, in addition he said it was vibrant and the colours were representative of the continents flair.

Chiefs in confederations Cup

A number of teams have already confirmed their spaces in South Africa for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, the USA as winners of the CONCAF Gold Cup, Asian Champs Iraq, Fifa World Cup Champions Italy, South American Champions Brazil, Bafana Bafana as hosts will be joined by the 2008 African and European Champions as well as the winners of Oceania’s Fifa World Cup Qualifying competition. During South Africa’s only previous appearance in the confederations back in 1997, the Bafana Bafana squad who travelled to Saudi Arabia did so with five Chiefs players on board.

Neil Tovey, Mark Williams and Doctor Khumalo were part of the action in Bafana Bafana’s opening game draw against the Czech Republic, while Tovey and Williams again took to the field when South Africa lost to the United Arab Emirates.

They were though joined in the 1-0 loss to the UAE by Pollen Ndlanya who made a substitute appearance in the match, in South Africa’s final group B game in what was a seven goal thriller Mark Williams and Ndlanya were again in the match with Ndlanya scoring South Africa’s third goal and in goal on that day for Bafana Bafana was Brian Baloyi who was named as the man of the match.

The life

As the media centre set up to cater for the needs of the 1 000-odd accredited journalist, television and radio crews begins to fill up at the ICC in Durban, one gets a feeling that there really is going to be a Fifa World Cup taking place in around two and a half years time in South Africa.

Being an accredited journalist at the Fifa World Cup Preliminary draw offers one certain privileges away from the ICC, using your Fifa World Cup Pass, one can climb onto any public transportation run by the Durban Metro Free of charge.

In addition free entrance to Durban’s star attractions, including Ushaka Marine Land, is thrown in for journalists with a host of other vouchers and commerative items from the various Fifa World Cup sponsors coming the way of the media as well. Attending the Fifa Preliminary World Cup Draw for some might feel like the festive season has come a little early, with the gifts being handed out.