Iran's soccer players, accused of “treason” and threatened with execution upon returning to the country
The Iran women's national football team ended their participation in the Asian Cup in dramatic fashion, losing their last match in Group A, 0–2 to the Philippines, and were eliminated without any points. However, the sporting defeats are only part of the problems faced by the players, who return home under the threat of execution after refusing to sing the national anthem in the first match, according to Digi Sport
The Iran team left the competition without a goal scored. PHOTO video capture YouTube Guardian Football
Iran lost all three of their group games: 0–3 to South Korea, 0–4 to Australia and 0–2 to the Philippines. The Philippines' goals, scored by Eggesvik in the 29th minute and McDaniel in the 82nd minute, sent the team into the quarter-finals, while Iran exited the competition without a goal scored and with a low morale.
For the players coached by Marziyeh Jafari, however, the sports elimination is the least of their problems. After they refused to sing the national anthem in the first match, a gesture interpreted in Iran as an act of protest, the reactions in the country were extremely harsh.
The players, accused of “betrayal”
Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, presenter of the Iranian state television, named the athletes “traitorous in time of wari”, and local media speculated that the athletes could be formally charged with treason upon their return to Iran – a crime that, under certain circumstances, can even attract the death penalty.
In the context of these threats, more and more voices from the sporting and civic environment have called for Australia to grant the players political asylum. The Australian authorities have not yet announced any decision.
The reaction of international bodies
The professional footballers' union, FIFPRO, has called for urgent intervention from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), demanding concrete measures to protect Iranian female players. Both forums were asked to ensure that the sportswomen would not be subject to reprisals upon their return to the country.
After the controversial moment in the match against South Korea, the players still sang Iran's national anthem in the next two games against Australia and the Philippines.
The gesture by the Iranian sportswomen is reminiscent of the situation of the men's team at the 2022 World Cup, when the Iranian footballers refused to sing the national anthem in the first match, then reversed the decision in the next match.
