ON the night that one of Australia’s greatest ever Socceroos, Tim Cahill, bids farewell to national team duty, a group of Australia’s most inspiring footballers will be taking off to represent the nation abroad.
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The Pararoos, Australia’s national football team for athletes with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury or symptoms acquired from stroke, will commence their journey to Kish Island in IR Iran to play at the 2018 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football Asia-Oceania Championship on Tuesday.
The third in the Asia-Oceania Confederation and ranked 16th globally Pararoos, featuring Callala Bay’s Ben Atkins, will play Korea Republic on Saturday, November 24 before taking on Thailand two days later.
On Wednesday, November 28 Kai Lammert’s side will take on Jordan, before concluding their campaign against regional heavyweights and hosts IR Iran the next day.
The five participating nations will compete in a single round robin, with the team that finishes on top of the pool to be crowned Champions.
The winner and runner-up of the 2018 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship will also secure qualification for the 2019 IFCPF World Championship in Seville, Spain, to be held next July.
Pararoos coach Kai Lammert explained that camps completed in Sydney and Canberra ahead of the team’s challenge in IR Iran have the team well prepared for the IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship.
“We are happy with the squad going to Iran to compete in the Asia-Oceania Championship,” Lammert said.
“We had to rebuild the starting seven from the successful World Championship campaign in Argentina last year after the new classification rules came in, but I am confident that we have found the right combination to achieve success in Iran.”
“The tournament doubles as a qualification for the World Cup in Spain next year and we have to finish in the top two to qualify directly to the World Cup.
“The players are well prepared and looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“Iran is certainly the favourite to take out the tournament, but I believe all five teams competing in the tournament will be competitive.
“Brad Scott will be the only player who is looking to debut for the Pararoos, after Daniel Campbell and Augustine Murphy secured their debuts in the United States a few months ago.”
All four of the Pararoos’ matches at the 2018 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship will be streamed live via http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
Pararoos squad: Ben Atkins, David Barber, Christopher Barty, Daniel Campbell, Cosimo Cirillo, Matthew Hearne, Alessandro La Verghetta, Taj Lynch, Angus MacGregor, Connor Marsh, Augustine Murphy, Christopher Pyne, Benjamin Roche and Bradley Scott.
