Iranian women’s footballers play against all limitations

A football pitch with women playing. At first glimpse this looks like an ordinary football training. On closer inspection, all these women play the sport while wearing a hijab.

The Iranian Mullah regime requires that Iran’s female football players wear a hijab and fully cover their body. This means Iran’s national football team competes on the international stage wearing a hijab. Goalkeeper, Zahra Khajavi, tells the German TV-channel ZDF that, “The hijab comes as a disadvantage, especially when it is hot and humid, and when it rains, we carry more weight.”

Training session of the Iranian women’s national football team in September 2021.

But they don’t give up. In 2022, they made their first appearance at the Asia Cup, playing in the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai against India. It ended in a 0-0 draw, which provided them with some visibility, something Iran’s female footballers have always longed for. Although the team was eliminated in the preliminary round, this result was nonetheless significant.

A complete standstill for the Iranian women’s team

In May 2018, the Trump administration abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran and reinstated economic sanctions on the country. The US imposed sanctions on the energy, shipping and financial sectors causing a massive impact on Iran’s gross domestic product. Iran’s oil exports fell substantially. With the economy suffering, all football activities, including local games, came to a near standstill. Iran’s women’s team disappeared from the world ranking.

In a coversation with Jörg-Hendrik Brase Maryam Azmoon, coach of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team, she emphasized that, “Our biggest problem in Iranian women’s football is that we need better relations with the rest of the world“.

For the Iranian regime, women’s football is not a priority either. It only re-established the women’s team after FIFA had threatened to suspend the men’s team.

A fresh start for Iran’s women

Maryam Irandoost became their coach in 2021. She started from scratch and chose players and equipment herself. Furthermore, Irandoost arranged friendly games in the Azadi Sports Facilities, Teheran’s main stadium. Despite these efforts, Iran’s regime prohibited Nosrat Irandoost, Maryam’s father, from working as a technical director for the women’s team. The regime didn’t want him to see the women playing from a close proximity. Friendly games were abandoned due to the resistance of the regime.

Despite these obstacles, football enjoys great popularity amongst Iranian girls. There is talent too. In 2018, Iran’s women won the Asian Futsal Championships.

The Iranian Women’s Futsal team celebrates their victory in the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship in May 2018.

However, this success doesn’t mean that female players can earn sufficiently in Iran. Azam Akhondi, member of Iran’s National Futsal team, has played in the Maldivian and Iraqi futsal leagues to make a living. But everything is affected by the complicated, confined conditions in Iran.

Fighting for more rights but restrictions remain

Women even have to fight for their right to visit a men’s game. According to Iranian religious conservatives such visits would be immoral. Iranian female voices have claimed that every woman should possess the right to watch the game of her favourite team, that such a stadium ban is a form of oppression.

FIFA put pressure on the Iranian Football Association and for a short time women were allowed to enter stadiums. Former goalkeeper, Hamideh Hamidi, revealed to Deutschlandfunk correspondent Ronny Blascke: “I don’t have alot of confidence in any sports organisations because they don’t sanction the inclusion of women sufficiently.” At the end of August 2022, 4,000 female fans watched the game between teams Persepolis and Abadan.

Football fans at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran cheering for their national team.

In September 2022, the death of Jina Mahsa Amini sparked wide protests throughout Iran. Amini died in hospital after having been arrested and reportedly beaten by morality police during a hijab control in Tehran. Protests for women’s rights moved to the fore. The regime reacted harshly with security reinforcements shooting at demonstrators and women were prohibited from visiting men’s football games.

Iranians protesting after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022.

The situation for Iranian female footballers remains restrained. During trips abroad, the Iranian regime watch every step of the players. If they don’t follow the rules, they can be blocked or even arrested. Some have had their families threatened.

Some athletes have chosen to flee abroad. Shiva Amini, futsal player and former member of the Iranian Futsal National Team fled to Switzerland and Italy. She escaped the harsh situation within Iran’s national team.

A great passion for football with complex and uncertain times for Iran’s women

All of these restraints haven’t destroyed the passion of Iranian girls and women for the sport of football. Futsal national player Azam Akhondi runs her own fitness studio in the Iranian city of Isfahan, offering training facilities for girls. Officially, women are only allowed to train in the morning separately from men in the training facilities. Azam Akhondi told  Jörg-Hendrik Brase: “All of us have to do a second job in order to survive. Nevertheless, we train as hard as the men do. And we need our rest phase and periods of recovery too.”

Coach Maryam Azmoon wrote letters to football teams in 10 countries asking for possible friendly games. None of these teams accepted her request. Although FIFA opposes the restrictive measures of the Iranian regime, not much was done in favour of Iranian’s women’s football and futsal before the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year.

Coach Maryam Azmoon at the AFC Women’s Asian Olympic Qualifier match between Iran and the Philippines in Perth, Australia on 1st November 2023.

Despite all odds, the Iranian Women’s National Football Team continues to play their beloved game. Although the team missed out on qualification for the Women’s World Cup, the players want to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2024. The search for visibility continues.