Iran's Nekounam plays for charity

PTV - Iranian midfielder Javad Nekounam has played in a charity football match at Sevilla's Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to help African children.

The 27-year-old Nekounam played in Spain's foreign-based players captained by Sevilla's striker Fredrik Kanoute against the World's Best Players team on Tuesday. Kanoute's men won the match 5-3.

African football stars including Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o were also among the players participating in the match.

The game was organized by Kanoute, the 2007 African Footballer of the Year, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund -- UNICEF.

The match also paid tribute to Sevilla defender Antonio Puerta, who died last year at the age of 22 after suffering a heart attack on the pitch.

Nekounam tore his ligament in a pre-season friendly last August but has finally returned to full fitness.