Bernd Stange has one goal above all others when he leads Syria into the finals ; to put a smile back on the faces of the country's war-ravaged people. The veteran German manager was lured out of retirement this year to take charge of the Syrians as they seek to build on their remarkable run to the verge of qualifying for their first World Cup finals last year.

Awer Mabil's journey from life as a refugee in a hut built out of mud to scoring on his international debut is the stuff dreams are made of. The 23-year-old grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya, where hunger and cramped conditions were everyday problems for his family. After moving to Australia as part of a humanitarian programme, he was subjected to racism as he tried to make it as a footballer. But he has come through it all to represent the defending champions at the finals in the UAE.

Plus the India coach Stephen Constantine and goal-keeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

(Picture: Syrian team before their World Cup qualifier against Australia. Credit: Getty Images)