The last time that the fans were able to attend a match of the men’s national team dates back to 10 October 2019
In Iran, women are carving out a role in football despite fears for their rights aroused by the election of the new president, the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi. After two years of ban, the Iranian fans will be able to return to the stadium on October 12 to attend the match of the men’s national soccer team against South Korea, in a match valid for the qualifiers for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. And just football Iranian women’s team is back from a surprising qualification for the Asian Cup, thanks to a 4-2 victory on penalties over Jordan after a goalless draw in the first leg. A historic success that allows the Iranian players, all strictly with veils and long pants, to still hope for qualification for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
In August the new president Raisi took office in the Islamic republic, a hawk close to the supreme guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who chose the intransigent Ensiyeh Khazali as his deputy and minister of the family. Hence the fear that women’s rights may suffer further squeeze. From sport comes at least a sign of hope.
Fifa has long pushed for Iran to open its stadiums to women for World Cup qualifying matches in Qatar in 2022. The only time Iranian women had been able to attend a game in the Azadi (Farsi) stadium in Tehran dates back to 10 October 2019, when over 3,500 fans supported the men’s national team in the easy victory against Cambodia (14-0). The opening was decided following the emotion aroused by the tragic death in September 2019 of a young woman, Sahar Khodayari called “Blue Girl”, who set herself on fire believing that she was sentenced to prison for trying to enter a stadium.
After the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian women were denied access to the bleachers, officially to protect them from male rudeness. The ban is not contained in a law or regulation but has been rigorously enforced by the Iranian authorities, with very few exceptions. In 2001, around 20 Irish women were allowed to attend a World Cup qualifier match and in 2005 for the first time a few dozen Iranians were admitted to an Iran-Bahrain.
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