6 DECEMBER 27, 2014 Three Iranian Referees Invited Iranian Goalkeepeing Coach Yahyavi Joins to 2015 AFC Asian Cup Frenz Academy TEHRAN (IRNA) – Three Ira- Alex Susi, the AFC general secre- Asian Football Confederation has world’s all-time leading goal scor- nian referees have been selected to tary has sent a letter to Iran Football invited Iranian football icon Ali er in men’s international matches. referee in the 16th edition of the Federation, enlisting the referees Daei to be the special guest of the Three-time winners Iran has been AFC Asian Cup due to begin in Aus- and assistants selected for the AFC AFC Asian Cup final game due to placed in Group-3 of the tourna- tralia on January 9, 2015, accord- Asian Cup, including three Irani- be held in Sydney, Australia on Jan- ment along with Bahrain, Qatar and ing to Iran Football Federation on ans, namely Alireza Faghani, Reza uary 31, 2015. the and will Thursday. Sokhandan and Mohammadreza Daei, a former member of the play its first game against Bahrain Iran Football Federation said that Abolfazli. FIFA Football Committee, is the on January 11. Asian Nations Set for ‘Home-Team’ Support CANBERA (AFC) - The contest do to promote the matches includ- for their two matches in Brisbane. We have been promoting the match- for AFC Asian Cup supremacy will ing the Japanese media having ar- “There are more than 50,000 es at Iraqi community days; have set extend into the stands in January ticles on Japan’s opponents and the people born in Iraq now living in up a Facebook page for Iraqi fans 2015 with some of the world’s most cities that host Japan matches. I feel Australia and these people are all and reserved seating areas in the passionate supporters preparing to more and more people are getting coming together to get behind and stadium for Iraq’s matches. We are get behind their teams at Asia’s big- passionate about football and will gest football event. show that passion during the Asian There are more than 2.5 million Cup in January.” people of Asian descent living in While other teams such as Korea Australia and with thousands more Republic, Iran and China can also expected to travel from across expect strong support from both the continent, many of the visit- local and travelling fans in Janu- ing teams will feel like they are on ary, not all countries can rely on big home soil when they take to the local communities to support them pitch in January. from the stands in January. Japanese fan and Asian Cup Shahina Ahad is one of only an Community Ambassador Taka Sa- few hundred Uzbeks that are esti- saki is organizing support for the mated to now call Australia home Iranian Goalkeepeing Coach Yahyavi Joins Frenz Academy Blue Samurai at their final group but is still preparing her commu- match in Melbourne. With more nity to give the Uzbekistan national TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian who finished his playing career at than 40,000 people of Japanese team strong support when they ar- goalkeeping coach Mohammad Ali the Blues, has not coached since rive Australia. descent living in Australia and a Yahyavi joined Frenz United Foot- leaving Persepolis in 2011. large contingent of fans expected “We are preparing special banners, to travel from Japan for the tour- flags and drums to support the team ball Academy. Yahyavi has played for Iran na- nament, the Blue Samurai can Iranian strong supporters from both local and travelling fans in January,” Ms Ahad said. The 52-year-old coach has joined tional football team. He also played look forward to receiving fervent “We are not a big community, but the Malaysian academy on a one- for Iran national futsal team in the support in January. interested in going to the stadium to support a truly national icon: the we will all come together and travel year contract. 1996 FIFA Futsal World Champi- “I recently travelled to Sydney to support Japan so I am excited about Iraqi National Football team,” Mr around Australia during the Asian Former Esteghlal goalkeeper, onship. attend a Blue Samurai supporter helping to make it happen. “ Ghafoor said. Cup to make it an unforgettable workshop,” Mr. Sasaki said. Iraqi-Australian Ali Ghafoor is an- “Representatives from the Iraqi time for us living in Australia and “There were Japanese fans from other Asian Cup Community Am- community here in Brisbane are our guests from overseas. We want each city there and Japanese media. bassador who is rallying his com- meeting regularly to discuss how to be loud and show our team that We talked about what we could all munity to get behind the Iraq team we can make the event a great one. we support them.” Turkish Boxer Sells Gloves for Kobane Refugee Children German Skier Ferst Leads WCup Downhill Training ANKARA (Hurriyet Daily News) ISIL and now live in Turkish SANTA CATERINA, Italy (AP) than a second behind, with Ameri- - Turkish light-heavyweight boxer Is- camps under difficult condi- -- German skier Josef Ferstl posted can Steven Nyman, who won in Val mail Özen sold the boxing gloves he tions. the fastest time in the first train- Gardena a week ago, finishing 1.58 used in a fight against Serbia’s Cu- “I have personally visited those ing session Friday for a World Cup off the lead in seventh and overall lum Slobodan on Dec. 20, in a bid to camps and talked to the chil- downhill, the final men’s race of World Cup leader Kjetil Jansrud of support children that fled Kobane, 2014. Norway trailing by 3.28 in 30th. dren, and I am supporting this Ferstl, whose sole career top-10 Jansrud, who won two downhills the Syrian town that has been under cause because I witnessed their finish came two seasons ago by and two super-G races this season, siege by Islamic State of Iraq and the struggle for life under hard con- placing ninth in a downhill in Gar- leads defending overall champion Levant (ISIL) militants, into Turkey. ditions,” he said. misch-Partenkirchen, was the first Marcel Hirscher by 34 points. The The 34-year-old enjoyed a The gloves were sold for 3,000 starter following a half-hour break Austrian is skipping Sunday’s race. technical knock-out in the fourth euros, as Özen thanked everyone for course maintenance after 30 The second and final training is round, the 12th in his career, in skiers completed their run. scheduled for today (Saturday). who helped. Ferstl came down the 3.275-kilo- Santa Caterina replaces the clas- the match against Slobodan in Özen is also known for play- meter Deborah Compagnoni course sic downhill on the Stelvio piste in Hamburg, Germany. ing songs by Ferhat Tunç, a lo- in 1 minute, 53.28 seconds to lead nearby Bormio, which pulled out “I had confidence that I cal singer, in the Zaza language Brice Roger of France by 0.09 sec- of the World Cup circuit after more would win and I am lucky before the games. onds. than two decades. that it happened with the sup- Some 200,000 people have es- Italy’s Christof Innerhofer was The course in Santa Caterina, port and the spectators chant- 0.34 back in third, and Olympic named after the Italian three-time caped from Kobane, taking shel- downhill champion Matthias May- Olympic gold medalist from the ing,” he said after the event, ter in camps in Turkey. er of Austria trailed Ferstl by 0.69 1990s, was used for the women’s German skier Josef Ferstl posted the fastest time in the first training announcing that he was put- This added to hundreds of thou- in fourth. downhill at the 2005 world cham- session Friday for a World Cup downhill, the final men’s race of 2014. ting his gloves on auction to sands of refugees, who fled to The rest of the field was more pionships but has been modified since. support the children who left Turkey from unrest in both Syria their houses due to attacks by and Iraq. Van Gaal Hasn’t Given Up on Title LONDON (AFP) - Manchester always to be first,” Van Gaal said. United manager Louis van Gaal in- Van Gaal, who earlier this year sists that winning the Premier League guided the Dutch to the World title remains a goal for him and the Cup semi-finals where they lost players despite being 10 points adrift on penalties to Argentina, has of leaders Chelsea heading into Fri- spent 150 million pounds on day’s fixtures. new players and says that Unit- The 63-year-old Dutchman -- who ed can do better than the target originally said when he took over set by the board at the outset of after the World Cup this year that the season. he foresaw a three year rebuilding The board’s goal was for United process -- has overseen a revival in to finish fourth and qualify for the club’s fortunes in recent months the Champions League which is after a poor start to his reign which something they failed to achieve was Manchester United’s worst last term under the disastrous stew- since the 1986/87 season. ardship of David Moyes, who was However, he takes United into the sacked towards the end of the sea- home game with Newcastle on Fri- son and replaced temporarily by Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal walks from the day on the back of a run of six wins Ryan Giggs. dug-out at half time in the English Premier League football match be- and a draw. “With my players and all the staff, tween Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, “Our goal is still to be the cham- we are trying to achieve more than Turkish light-heavyweight boxer Ismail Özen sold the boxing gloves he north west England, on December 14, 2014 pion at the end of the season. It is they expect,” said van Gaal. used in a fight against Serbia’s Culum Slobodan