Johannesburg - Oceania Champions, New Zealand, were the first team to touch down on South African soil on Thursday for their final preparations for the up-coming FIFA Confederations Cup.
New Zealand will play their first game of the Festival of Champions in Rustenburg on 14 June at 8:30pm in what will be a tough fixture against European champions, Spain.
The 8th FIFA Confederations Cup will kick-off four hours earlier with hosts South Africa facing Asian Cup champions Iraq in the opening game at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Arriving at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg last night, New Zealand coach, Ricki Herbert said, he was confident of his team's prospects in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
"We have never had a point in the Confederations Cup before, and to win a game would be an incredible experience for us.
"People must not underestimate us, we are here to win a game. It is important for the country, that we compete at this level with some of the best teams in the word.
"We know that we have some challenges ahead of us, but as a team, its challenges we like.
New Zealand captain Tim Brown said they were looking forward to the tournament.
"We have just assembled our squad and we are getting to know each other. We come here as big underdogs, we are excited about that. We are excited about surprising a lot of people," said Captain Brown.
Players that will make up New Zealand's 23-man squad for the FIFA Confederations Cup will include goalkeepers, James Banattyne, Glen Moss and Mark Paston. The defenders on the squad will consist of Andrew Boyens, Tony Lochhead, David Mulligan, Steve Old, Aaron Scott, Ben Sigmund and Ivan Vicelich.
The midfielders will be made up of Andrew Barron, Leo Bertos, Tim Brown, Jeremy Christie, Simon Elliot, Chris James and Duncan Oughton. Strikers: Kris Bright, Jeremy Brockie, Chris Killen, Shane Smeltz, Jarrod Smith and Chris Wood.
Nicknamed the All Whites, New Zealand has won the OFC Nations Cup four times, in 1973, 1998, 2002 and 2008. The national team's nickname is in contrast with the rugby team, the All Blacks.
New Zealand has competed in one FIFA World Cup in Spain in 1982 and in two Confederations Cups - Mexico in 1999 and France in 2003 respectively.
In each of these tournaments, the All Whites have failed to progress past the first round according to soccernet.espn.go.com.
The New Zealanders will play against South Africa on 17 June at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg at 8:30pm.
They will also play against Iraq at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on 20 June at 8:30pm.
According to FIFA the Iraq team will be the next to arrive on 6 June in Cape Town followed by Italy on 8 June, USA on 9 June and Spain on 10 June.
"Due to their 2010 Qualifiers Egypt and Brazil are the last two teams to come to South Africa on 11 June at the OR Tambo International Airport," said FIFA.
