Confed Cup: The Stats

A look at the Group A teams taking part in this year's Confederations Cup.:

Qualified: as host nation

FIFA World ranking: 72

Coach: Joel Santana (Brazil)

Key player: In the absence of Blackburn Rovers Benni McCarthy, Teko Modise (striker)

v Iraq: never met

v New Zealand: P 4 W 4 D 0 L 0 F 24 A 9

v Spain: P 1 W 0 D 0 L 1 F 2 A 3

World Cup 2010 prospects: Have qualified as host nation but national team has performed poorly recently and is in danger of becoming first host nation not to survive opening round of finals.

Qualified: as Asian champions

FIFA World ranking: 77

Coach: Bora Milutinovic (Serbia)

Key player: Hawar Mulla Mohammed (Anorthosis Famugusta, Cyprus) first Iraqi to play and score in a Champions League match

v South Africa: never met

v Spain: never met

v New Zealand: P 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 6 A 0

World Cup 2010 prospects: Already eliminated from Asian qualifying competition

Qualified: as Oceania champions

FIFA World Ranking: 82nd

Coach: Ricki Herbert (New Zealand)

Key player: In the absence of the injured skipper Ryan Nelsen of Blackburn Rovers, Chris Wood of West Bromwich Albion

v Iraq: P 2 W 0 D 0 L 2 F 0 A 6

v South Africa: P 4 W 0 D 0 L 4 F 9 A 24

v Spain: never met

World Cup 2010 prospects: As winners of the Oceania qualifying zone, New Zealand can reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1982 if they win a two-legged playoff against an as yet undecided Asian opponent. The playoffs will take place in October and November.

Qualified: as European Champions

FIFA World ranking: 1st

Coach: Vicente Del Bosque (Spain)

Key Player: Striker Fernando Torres of Liverpool has had an excellent season in England despite a lengthy injury layoff.

v New Zealand: never met

v South Africa: P 1 W 1 D 0 L 0 F 3 A 2

v Iraq: never met

World Cup 2010 Prospects: Having maintained outstanding form since winning European title last year, Spain are regarded as one of the favourites to win the World Cup next year.

Sunday June 14 Johannesburg 1400 South Africa v Iraq

Sunday June 14 Rustenburg 1830 New Zealand v Spain

Weds June 17 Bloemfontein 1400 Spain v Iraq

Weds June 17 Rustenburg 1830 South Africa v New Zealand

Sat June 20 Johannesburg 1830 Iraq v New Zealand

Sat June 20 Bloemfontein 1830 Spain v South Africa

A look at the Group B teams taking part in this year's Confederations Cup.:

Qualified: as South American champions

FIFA World ranking: 5

Coach: Dunga (Brazil)

Key player: Kaka, Real Madrid's new signing.

v United States: P 14 W 13 D 0 L 1 F 25 A 8

v Italy: P 13 W 6 D 2 L 5 F 21 A 19

v Egypt: P 4 W 4 D 0 L 0 F 12 A 1

World Cup 2010 prospects: Brazil can never be discounted as prospective World Cup winners, and will be looking to improve on their 2006 World Cup campaign, when, as champions, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by France.

Qualified: as world champions

FIFA World ranking: 4

Coach: Marcello Lippi (Italy)

Key player: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)

v Egypt: P 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 7 A 2

v United States: P 6 W 3 D 3 L 0 F 11 A 3

v Brazil: P 13 W 5 D 2 L 6 F 19 A 21

World Cup 2010 prospects: Like Brazil, the world champions cannot be disregarded as potential winners and will be looking to gain considerable experience of South African conditions during the Confederations Cup.

Qualified: as Gold Cup winners 2007

FIFA World Ranking: 14

Coach: Bob Bradley (United States)

Key player: Clint Dempsey has had a good season with Fulham in the Premier League and could make an impact, while Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard is another important player.

v Egypt: never met

v Brazil: P 14 W 1 D 0 L 13 F 8 A 25

v Italy: P 6 W 0 D 3 L 3 F 3 A 11

World Cup 2010 prospects: On course to qualify from final CONCACAF group.

Qualified: as African champions

FIFA World ranking: 40th

Coach: Hassan Shehata (Egypt)

Key player: Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly)

v Italy: P 2 W 0 D 0 L 2 F 2 A 7

v U.S: never met

v Brazil: P 4 W 0 D 0 L 4 F 1 A 12

World Cup 2010 prospects: Lost opening match in final World Cup qualifying group 3-1 to Algeria and need to show improvement quickly to reach the finals

Monday June 15 Bloemfontein 1400 Brazil v Egypt

Monday June 15 Pretoria 1830 U.S. v Italy

Thurs June 18 Pretoria 1400 U.S. v Brazil

Thurs June 18 Johannesburg 1830 Egypt v Italy

Sun June 21 Pretoria 1830 Italy v Brazil

Sun June 21 Rustenburg 1830 Egypt v U.S.