Iran women's football team returns home | OneFootball

The Iran women's national football team, several members of which had requested asylum in Australia, returned to the country after crossing the Gürbulak border post with Turkey, a correspondent for AFP confirmed.

The group includes four players — among them the captain Zahra Ghanbari — and a member of the coaching staff, who withdrew their asylum requests in Australia and decided to return to Iran.

Return journey via Turkey

The players, wearing the official uniform of the Iranian delegation, boarded a bus shortly before heading to the Gürbulak-Bazargan border, after landing at Igdir Airport in eastern Turkey.

The Iranian city of Bazargan (northwest) is approximately 900 kilometers by road from the capital, Tehran.

After arriving in Kuala Lumpur this Wednesday (18th), coming from Australia where they competed in the Asian Cup, the players flew to Oman on Monday and, on Tuesday, boarded another plane bound for Istanbul.

“I miss my family,” one of them told AFP on Monday at Kuala Lumpur airport.

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Iranian government praises athletes' return

The president of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, praised the players and coaching staff of the women's national football team, describing them as “daughters of the homeland” welcomed by the “Iranian people.”

He added that they “disappointed the enemies” of the Islamic Republic by resisting the “deceit and intimidation of anti-Iranian elements.”

Asylum case and accusations of pressure

Seven members of the Iranian women's delegation — six players and one member of the coaching staff — had initially sought asylum in Australia after being considered “traitors” in their country for refusing to sing the national anthem before a match, amid the war between Iran and the United States and Israel.

However, only two players remained on Australian soil.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring female athletes abroad, threatening their families or confiscating their property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic Republic.

For their part, Iranian authorities accuse Australia of pressuring the players to remain in the country.

*Content produced by AFP

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.