(The Homeless team from Afghanistan, eventual winners of the tournament, are shown here facing off against the Scottish Team at the Homeless World Cup Games in Melbourne, Australia.)

Afghanistan beat Russia 5-4 in a gripping final yesterday, its cheer squad was joined by a local crowd happy to get behind them. Meanwhile in their homeland, another nine people were dead after a shoot-out.

For Maseeh Nasheet, who arrived in Australia with his family in 2002, the sight of his national team evoked deep emotion. "After three decades of war … it's a matter of great pride for all us Afghans to get to this stage," he said. "They have come from different ethnicities and different backgrounds and they're all Afghans. A united Afghanistan is the message we want to portray."