Iran’s women’s football team declined to sing their national anthem before their opening match of the Asian Cup , their first fixture since the war in the Middle East began.
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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 country's long-serving leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, when asked by the media.

Iran’s women’s team decline to sing national anthem before Asian Cup tie ► https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/03/iran-women-football-team-decline-to-sing-national-anthem-before-asian-cup-tie

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