The tournament is the first being staged by the AFC for people with cerebral palsy, as part of the Dream Asia programme which uses football for positive social change.

Iran have cruised through their games, with a 1-0 win in their last match against the hosts in Abu Dhabi thanks to a goal from Behnam Sohrabi meaning they have won four out of four to date.

Iran's final game against South Korea will give them a chance to wrap up the title, and the man in charge of their team is not surprised they have done so well.

"We have 24 teams in the local tournaments in Iran, as well as participating in international tournaments," said Amin Mani, Iran's coach.

"We categorise our players according to their level of disability and level of sportsmanship, taking into consideration their age, type of disability and technical specifications.

"Since 2001, we have been preparing our football leagues to give their best performance.

"Although a lot of players have been changed we always keep the structure of the team intact."

"Victory and loss is part of the game, today we played using new tactics and we train consistently and seriously."


Australia are second after crushing Singapore 8-0 in their last game, with David Barber grabbing a hat trick, two apiece from Jack Williams and Michael Debenham and one from Connor Marsh, while South Korea are in third place after a 5-0 win over Jordan.

South Korean Kim Hyung Soo impressed with four goals in a stunning individual performance, with the fifth coming courtesy of compatriot Park Seung-Mok.

Paul Brown, the Australia coach, was surprised by the margin of their win, and praised the standard of play at the competition.

"I didn't expect to win with such a great score, especially playing against a strong team such as Singapore," he said.

"My team's abilities amaze me, their individual levels vary a lot, and some of them need more training and practice.

"The UAE team impressed me with their strength and capabilities regardless of their lack of experience.

"Iran are obviously the strongest here, we met them many times during other tournaments."

Earlier, FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussain also paid a visit to Abu Dhabi and congratulated players following the day's round of games.

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