The Australian National Paralympic Football Team have qualified for the 2019 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football World Championship in Seville, Spain next year after as the team have finished 2nd at the IFCPF Asia-Oceania Championships this past week in Kish, IR Iran.
The Pararoos took on South Korea in their first match earlier this week, showing their quality through an 11-0 win. In the second match against Thailand, the team were able to hold onto their winning ways with a 3-0 triumph. Australia then secured their third straight win in a strong performance against Jordan in a 7-1 win. Congratulations to our Victorian boys, Angus MacGregor and Cosimo Cirillo who both scored their first international goal for their country against Jordan.
The final match saw Australia (ranked 3rd) take on Iran who are ranked 1st in the Asia-Oceania region. Iran proved why they’re ranked no.1 in a strong performance in their home ground to win the championships with a 7-0 result. Congratulations to IR Iran on a great performance.
Despite the loss, the Pararoos put on a fantastic performance through the tournament showing their strength, pace, skills and teamwork on multiple occasions, being a formidable force to be reckoned with. A big congratulations to Victorian Benny Roche, who scored 10 goals over the first 3 matches of the tournament.
Congratulations from Football Victoria to Kai Lammert, the coaching team and players who have secured a spot in the World Championships. We look forward to continuing our support to the Victorian Paralympic Football Program and the Pararoos.