Until Wednesday, it wasn’t known if Iran would even show up for their Women’s Asian Cup opener on Sunday.
A picture posted of the Iranian women’s national team at an airport was the first evidence they had travelled Down Under for the tournament. Until then, not even FIFPRO (the global players’ association) knew their whereabouts.
Iran has experienced large-scale anti-government protests for months. Authorities have violently cracked down on the rebellion with some estimating a death toll of more than 30,000. Women have borne the brunt of the response.
This extends to the treatment of the country’s women’s national team which could be exposed at the Women’s Asian Cup.
