Grave Concerns For Iran’s Return Home After Women’s Asian Cup Elimination

The Iran women’s team face the uncertain prospect of returning home after a 2-0 defeat by the Philippines ended their Women’s Asian Cup campaign.

Sara Eggesvik and Chandler McDaniel scored the goals on the Gold Coast on Sunday night. It was the Philippines’ first win of the tournament, but they will need other results to go their way to qualify as one of the two best third-placed sides.

Iran finish fourth in Group A and are eliminated despite some heroic saves from their goalkeeper, Raha Yazdani. Their third loss came after the players and coaches sang the national anthem, displaying a military salute before the match.

It was the second time they had sung the anthem in the tournament after they decided not to before their opening game against South Korea last Monday. Iran’s state television called them “traitors” for not singing, saying the team were “the pinnacle of dishonour” because it came less than 48 hours after the US-Israel assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Sunday fans also held up multiple flags of Imperial Iran, the country’s official flag before the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

It is not known how or when Iran’s players will be able to return home, given the war and fears the regime could arrest them.

Australia’s shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, has called for the government to offer asylum to the Iranian team. “On International Women’s Day we must stand up for the women in our midst,” Leeser said on Sunday.

“We know that in recent days serious threats have been made against the courageous Iranian women’s soccer team who are playing in Australia. Given the serious threats, members of the Iranian team should be offered asylum if they want it. The Australian government should not turn a blind eye to the danger these women face.”

It is unclear what help the government can or will offer to the players. On Sunday the foreign minister, Penny Wong, dead-batted questions on whether the federal government had contact with any of the players.

The former Socceroos captain Craig Foster has urged Fifa and Football Australia to uphold their obligations to protect the safety of players.

“Human rights must be granted to all athletes during competition,” he posted on X. “The rights of all athletes must be the paramount consideration at all times. Under Fifa’s human rights policy, the safety of all players takes precedence over the protocols of a member federation, whether in tournament or otherwise.

“At all times this requires individual player agency, not group decision-making or imposed diktats. Given the public threats in response to the protected actions of the Iranian women’s team, concerns for their safety are justified and urgent.”

Twelve Iranian community organisations and civil society groups have sent a letter to Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, outlining they have “grave concerns” for the team.