Jun 13th, 2009 (WAM): Sunday marks the opening match of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The event, which will act as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will be contested by the host country South Africa, the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner Italy and the champions from six continents, with Brazil returning to defend the title which they won four years ago in Germany. The other teams which make up the event are current European Champions Spain as well as New Zealand, Egypt, Iraq and the United States.

Four of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums in South Africa have been selected to host the event with the final taking place on the 28th June at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg. During the event, Emirates will be entertaining fans at Ellis Park with the Emirates ?Goal Striker', a computer based game which enables fans to test their skills against a virtual goalkeeper. It gives them a real taste of the stadium atmosphere and is even able to generate crowd noise to see how fans cope with the pressure of a penalty shoot out.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman, Emirates Airline and Group commented, 'Emirates is very much looking forward to the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The event will act as a fascinating pre-cursor to next year's FIFA World Cup and all eyes will certainly be on South Africa. Emirates' association with FIFA provides a perfect platform to engage with fans on a global scale'.

Players that will be feeling the pressure first hand, as they compete for their national teams in South Africa include Italian midfield general Gennaro Gattuso, Brazilian player Alexandra Pato and FIFA World Cup winning Andrea Pirlo of Emirates-sponsored AC Milan, as well as Cesc Fabregas who captains the Emirates-sponsored club Arsenal.

Emirates is looking forward to welcoming sports fans to South Africa where a country rich in culture and diversity awaits them. With three daily flights in operation to Johannesburg from its central hub in Dubai and a daily flight to Cape Town, Emirates provides fans from across the globe access to the best possible travel options to see their teams compete in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009.

Emirates' partnership with FIFA began at the 2006 FIFA World Cup when it became the first airline to sponsor the prestigious global sporting event. Following on from a hugely successful FIFA World Cup in Germany, Emirates cemented its status as an Official FIFA Partner up to and including the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.