CommBank Pararoos' Head Coach Kai Lammert and CommBank ParaMatildas' Head Coach Kelly Stirton have confirmed their squads to compete at the IFCPF World Cup 2024 in Salou, Spain.
Lammert has selected a 14-player squad which includes two possible Pararoos' debutants as well as the team's iconic 45-year-old captain David Barber (Football QLD) - impressively entering his 26th year playing international football - and CommBank Pararoos favourite Ben Roche (NNSW Football), who will come out of retirement to add valuable experience and depth to the squad, which features eight players with 10 or fewer caps.
Giacomo Izzo (Football West) and William McGrath (Football NSW) are in-line to make their Pararoos' debuts, while Rafferty Bacon (Football West), Christian Bitsikas (Football VIC), Luc Launder (Capital Football) and Kaylan Van Heer (Football VIC) are among the possible World Cup debutants.
Running from 6 - 24 November, the CommBank Pararoos will be striving to finish in the single digits against the world's best for the first time, having finished 12th (2015), 10th (2017), 11th (2019) and 11th (2022) at their last four World Cup appearances.
Drawn in Group C, the CommBank Pararoos - contesting their 11th World Cup - will play their first match of the IFCPF World Cup against the USA on Monday, 11 November at 7.30pm AEDT (9.30am CET) before facing Thailand on Wednesday, 13 November at 10.00pm AEDT (12.00pm CET) and the Netherlands on Friday, 15 November at 7.30pm AEDT (9.30am CET). Men's tournament fixtures and results can be found HERE.
CommBank Pararoos' Head Coach Kai Lammert spoke about the squad's composition and outlined his goal for the tournament.
"We've held four productive training camps this year, as well as the Para Nationals in Canberra, all to prepare for us for the challenges that lie ahead over the next three weeks," Lammert explained.
"I'm grateful for the leadership and experience Benny (Roche) will bring to the squad after agreeing to come out of retirement to have one last shot at the World Cup. Benny knows David (Barber) extremely well, and the pair complement our young players and bring balance to the squad.
"We haven't faced the Netherlands for over a decade, and I know we have improved immensely since then. There are no easy games when you're playing in a World Cup, and I expect the boys will be very excited to hit the pitch in Spain.
"Our target at the World Cup is to finish in the single digits, outperforming our current international ranking of 10 to set a new standard for men's CP football in Australia," Lammert concluded.
Stirton's 10-player CommBank ParaMatildas' squad consists of a mix of experience and youth with seasoned campaigners Rae Anderson (NNSW Football), Georgia Beikhoff (Football NSW) and Elosie Northam (Football NSW) leading the side.
Rebecca Jones (Capital Football) and Trinity McPhie (Football QLD) could make their ParaMatildas' debut on the world stage, while Annmarie De Uriarte (Football NSW) and Carly Salmon (Capital Football) will be motivated to make their World Cup debuts.
In their first IFCPF World Cup appearance in 2022 - which was also the year the team was formed by Football Australia - the CommBank ParaMatildas progressed to the Gold Medal match before narrowly falling to the USA in extra-time. Following their triumph at the IFCPF Asia-Oceania Women's Championships in 2023, the CommBank ParaMatildas will be determined to claim top honours.
Set to run from 11 - 20 November, the CommBank ParaMatildas will kick-start their campaign at the IFCPF World Cup against Japan on Friday, 15 November at 12.30pm AEDT (2.30pm CET), before coming up against the USA on Sunday, 17 November at 12.30pm (2.30pm CET), Ireland on Monday, 18 November at 12.30pm AEDT (2.30pm CET) and Denmark on Tuesday, 19 November at 12.30pm AEDT (2.30pm CET). Women's tournament fixtures and results can be found HERE.
CommBank ParaMatildas' Head Coach Kelly Stirton expressed her excitement to witness what the squad will accomplish in Spain.
"This is what we have been building for since the Para Asian Cup in Melbourne last year and the players and staff cannot wait to showcase the progress and development made in that time," Stirton said.
"The disappointment of losing the final at the last World Cup to USA in extra time is fueling our desire to go one better and prove we're the best women's CP Football team in the world.
"Our squad contains plenty of firepower, speed and agility making us a dynamic team on the field but we're also fortunate to have a composed and positive team off the field.
"We are heading to Spain to play for each other and our country. This team has shown me that obstacles put in front of them can be overcome by working together as a team and I can't wait to see what they're able to achieve in Spain," Stirton concluded.
