"Every member of the team stood silently, facing straight ahead, during the anthem prior to kick-off in their Group A match against South Korea, who went on to win 3-0 at the Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland."
"Iran's head coach, Marziyeh 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."
"They put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that's going on and the struggles that they might be going through. The best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football that we're able and to show them the respect on the field."
Iran's women's football team stood silently without singing their national anthem before their opening Asian Cup match against South Korea in Australia, marking their first fixture since Middle East conflict began. The team, coached by Marziyeh Jafari, refused to comment on the war or their leader's death when questioned by media. South Korea defeated Iran 3-0 at Gold Coast Stadium. Iran faces Australia on Thursday and the Philippines on Sunday in group-stage matches. Australian players praised Iran's courage and commitment to competing despite difficult circumstances. Iran is the only Middle East team qualified for the tournament running until March 21. Australia won their opening match 1-0 against the Philippines, while North Korea defeated Uzbekistan 3-0.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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