Football

Iran Football team refuse to sing national anthem

November 22, 2022 4:15 am

[Source: BBC Sports]

The Iran Football team declined to sing their national anthem before their World Cup match with England in an apparent expression of support for antigovernmental protests in their home country.

Some fans shouted and jeered during the anthem and others held up signs saying Woman, Life, Freedom.

There has been a fierce crackdown on protests in Iran sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September.

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The 22-year-old Amini was detained by morality police for allegedly breaking the strict rules around head coverings.

Iranian fans could also be heard chanting “Ali Karimi” in the first-half in reference to the former footballer who is one of the most outspoken critics of the Islamic Republic and one of the most popular faces of the protest movement.

The fans could also be heard chanting “Be-Sharaf”, which means dishonourable in Persian. This is an adjective that protesters have used against security forces in Iran.

Speaking before the game Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi said the players “support” those who have died.

Queiroz said his players were “free to protest” over women’s rights in their home country as long as it “conforms with the World Cup regulations and is in the spirit of the game”.