Iranian ladies's soccer group refuses to sing nationwide anthem at Asian Cup

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The Iranian ladies’s nationwide soccer group made fairly the assertion on Monday night time throughout the opening match of the Ladies’s Asian Cup, as they refused to sing whereas their nationwide anthem performed over the audio system at Cbus Tremendous Stadium on the Gold Coast.

The gamers have been of their customary line earlier than their match in opposition to South Korea, when the Iranian national anthem started to play. The ladies, wanting straight forward and barely transferring, have been stoic because it appeared there have been jeers from the group. Later, applause erupted from these in attendance following the 3-0 South Korea victory.

Iran’s supervisor, Marziyeh Jafari, was additionally seen smiling as she appeared upon her gamers’ silence from the sidelines.

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Staff Iran hear nationwide anthems earlier than the AFC Ladies's Asian Cup Australia 2026 soccer match between South Korea and Iran in Gold Coast on March 2, 2026. (Izhar Khan / AFP)

This silence is especially deafening following the confirmed U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since counterattacked by firing missiles and drones at Israel and regional nations that host U.S. allies or navy bases, together with Bahrain and Qatar.

Throughout questioning by media on Sunday, Iran ladies’s nationwide group captain Zahra Ghanbari, alongside Jafari, was requested about Khamenei’s loss of life. The query was shot down shortly.

Jafari answered in Farsi, however an AFC media consultant reduce off her response with none translation, in line with ESPN.

"OK, I feel that’s all on your query. Thanks for asking. Let’s simply concentrate on the sport itself," the media rep mentioned earlier than questioning continued.

Whereas the content material of Jafari's response stays unknown, the group's stoic nature throughout the nationwide anthem, which is often met by a minimum of some gamers singing, says sufficient.

The U.S. and Israel’s huge joint navy operation, often known as "Operation Epic Fury," left lots of Iran’s main leaders useless, together with Khamenei. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday in opposition to any Iranian retaliation, saying if Iran have been to "hit very exhausting," they might be met with "a drive that has by no means been seen earlier than."

The assaults have impacted the sports activities world in addition to the remainder of the nation; the soccer federation’s president shared a bleak outlook about taking part in on this 12 months’s FIFA World Cup. Iran has already certified for the event and is about to face New Zealand in Los Angeles in June to kick off its Group G schedule.

of Islamic Republic of Iran walks out for the beginning of the AFC Ladies's Asian Cup Australia 2026 match between Korea Republic v Islamic Republic of Iran at Gold Coast Stadium on March 2, 2026 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Albert Perez/Getty Pictures)

"What is for certain is that after this assault, we can't be anticipated to sit up for the World Cup with hope," soccer president Mehdi Taj informed sports activities portal Varzesh3 on Sunday.

"The US regime has attacked our homeland, and that is an incident that won't go unanswered."

FIFA additionally famous it is going to be monitoring the state of affairs with Iran.

Iran’s nationwide group is not going to be getting ready for the World Cup right now, as a 40-day mourning interval following the loss of life of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in impact. Nevertheless, the ladies’s nationwide group was allowed to compete within the Asian Cup.

Elsewhere within the sports activities world, Fox Information Digital discovered that Israel’s nationwide gymnastics group suspended all coaching and group actions amid the counterattack, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) offering an announcement asserting that the violence has prompted "unavoidable disruptions."

" The present safety state of affairs in our area has resulted in unavoidable disruptions to our common coaching schedule and has created vital uncertainty concerning the nationwide groups’ skilled plans, significantly as we're on the outset of the worldwide season," the assertion learn.

Staff Iran poses for a gaggle photograph earlier than the AFC Ladies's Asian Cup Australia 2026 match in opposition to South Korea in Gold Coast on March 2, 2026. (Izhar Khan / AFP)

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A supply inside the group additionally informed Fox Information Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts have been transferring between bomb shelters since Iran's counterstrikes started.