The Iranian women’s football team refused to sing the national anthem ahead of their first match since the war in the Middle East began.
As Iran’s anthem “Mehr-e Khavaran” was played ahead of kick-off at the Cbus Super Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia on Monday (2 March), the players were silent as they stood in a line.
Iranian coach Marziyeh Jafari was spotted on the sidelines with a smile on her face as her team remained tight-lipped, ahead of their Asia Cup game against South Korea.
Jafari and her players declined to comment on either the war or the death of their long-serving leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, when asked by the media before the game, stating that the team needs to focus on the tournament.
