(Large Crowds attended most of the events at the recently concluded Homeless World Cup Games in Melbourne, Australia.)

Star striker Sayeed Reza, who has been begging on the streets of Kabul for five years, nailed three of his team's five goals and sent the partisan crowd wild. Russia also had strong support and went goal for goal with their former Soviet occupiers.

Russia's last-minute attempt to equalise proved too much for some spectators and when the whistle finally blew, more than a few young Afghan supporters shook with sobs.

"Were you watching, world?" Homeless World Cup founder Mel Young later asked the crowd. "That's the way sport should be played."

In the women's final, Zambia beat a stricken Liberian team that had to rely on three Australian replacements.