The Republic of Ireland Visually Impaired Football Team will host a three-nation tournament in Dublin this weekend alongside England and Spain. The Irish kick-off on Friday evening against England (8pm) hoping to clinch their third title in a row.

Spain meet England on Saturday morning before Ireland face the Spanish at 3pm. The event will be staged at the ALSAA complex, located beside Dublin Airport.

The triangular tournament, which is played in an Indoor Futsal format, has grown each year.

Since caps were awarded in 2005, the Republic of Ireland have won the tournament in the consecutive years of 2006 and 2007 by edging out England for the title.

Ireland will compete at the World Championship Finals in November, having qualified by finishing 6th in the European Championships in Turkey last December.

They also plan to visit France for a tournament in June 2009 and also South Africia for a similar exercise in 2010.

The squad have been put through their paces by Manager Robert Moore and Head coach Tommy Gallagher in recent months.

They have contested a number of friendly games, participated in the SARI league in Tallaght, and played a challenge match against the FAI eircom League EA Sport Futsal Champions, St, Patrick’s Athletic, which ended in a 8-4 defeat.

Republic of Ireland Squad: Adam Sulivan (GK), Warren McDonald, Patrick Coates (capt), John Gaughan, Ciaran O'Brien, Roland Kennady, David Glynn, Niall Durham, Finton Lochnan, Ian Lochlan, Daniel Montgomery.

International Tournament – ALSAA Club, Dublin

Friday, May 9th
Republic of Ireland v England - 8pm

Saturday, May 10th
Spain v England - 11am

Spain v Republic of Ireland – 3pm

The Republic of Ireland Visually impaired team is part of bigger FAI football for all (FFA) programmes that has been in existence since 2002.

The FFA programme offers opportunities to people with disabilities to access football locally, regionally, and at international level.

The FFA programme through its national co-coordinator Oisin Jordan, Munster development officer Nick Harrison and all its 50 plus development officers around the country support and develop the 11 programmes already in existence.

Programmes like Deaf men & Women’s, Visually Impaired, Cerebral Palsy, Special Olympics, Mental Health Difficulties, Power Soccer, Development Co-ordination disorder, Acquired Brain Injury, Amputees, DownSyndrome Ireland and Street Leagues are continuously growing with the number of players participating in the programme at 3,500.

The FAI continue to be the leading Sports National Governing Body in providing opportunities for players with a disability with a programme of action that goes from strength to strength each year.

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