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.
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 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship tonight.
The Pararoos, who are currently ranked third in the Asia-Oceania Confederation and 16th globally, will play Korea Republic on Saturday, 24 November before taking on Thailand two days later. On Wednesday, 28 November 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 Head 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,” he said.
All four of the Pararoos’ matches at the 2018 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship will be streamed live via http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
*International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football
Pararoos Squad for the 2018 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship – November 2018 – IR Iran
|
Name (State) |
International Caps (Goals) |
|
Ben ATKINS (NSW) |
58 (4) |
|
David BARBER (QLD) |
85 (69) |
|
Christopher BARTY (WA) |
29 (0) |
|
Daniel CAMPBELL (NSW) |
2 (0) |
|
Cosimo CIRILLO (VIC) |
3 (0) |
|
Matthew HEARNE (VIC) |
11 (0) |
|
Alessandro LA VERGHETTA (WA) |
3 (0) |
|
Taj LYNCH (NSW) |
2 (0) |
|
Angus MACGREGOR (VIC) |
3 (0) |
|
Connor MARSH (NSW) |
24 (1) |
|
Augustine MURPHY (NSW) |
2 (0) |
|
Christopher PYNE (NSW) |
92 (20) |
|
Benjamin ROCHE (NSW) |
40 (14) |
|
Bradley SCOTT (WA) |
0 (0) |
2018 IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championship
Date: 22-30 November 2018
Location: Kish Island, IR Iran
Information: www.ifcpf.com
Pararoos Match Schedule
Game 1:
Australia v Korea Republic
Saturday, 24 November 2018
Kick-off: 3pm (local); 10.30pm (AEDT)
Live stream: http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
Game 2:
Thailand v Australia
Monday, 26 November 2018
Kick-off: 4pm (local); 11.30pm (AEDT)
Live stream: http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
Game 3:
Australia v Jordan
Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Kick-off: 4pm (local); 11.30pm (AEDT)
Live stream: http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
Game 4:
IR Iran v Australia
Thursday, 29 November 2018
Kick-off: 6pm (local); 1.30am – Friday, 30 November 2018 (AEDT)
Live stream: http://cp-football.irisfd.ir/
2019 IFCPF World Cup
Date: 4-20 July 2019
Location: Seville, Spain
Information: www.ifcpf.com