Australia captain Sam Kerr has praised the courage of Iran’s young players as they prepare for their Asian Cup clash, saying the Matildas will respect their opponents and focus on the game itself.
Iran meet Australia in their second Women’s Asian Cup group stage match on Thursday on the Gold Coast after opening their tournament with a defeat to South Korea on Monday.
Iran’s women’s football team refused to sing their national anthem before their Asian Cup opener against South Korea on the Gold Coast, in an apparent act of defiance following military strikes on their homeland.
Iran’s 3-0 loss to the Koreans came a little more than 48 hours after US-Israeli rocket attacks killed Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
As well as the assassination of Khamenei, the Iranian Red Crescent claims that more than 500 civilians have been killed in the attacks.
Iran’s players and coach Marziyeh Jafari have so far refused to comment on the military attacks or the death of their country’s long-serving leader.
Matildas captain Sam Kerr said they will respect their Iranian opponents when they clash on Wednesday
Iran’s team will play the Matildas on Thursday amid ongoing conflict in their homeland
‘Obviously it’s really tough what’s going on around the world. But you know, they’re just young, young girls and young footballers and we played them before in a tough time last time they were here,’ she said.
‘We’ll treat the game like any other game and show the team the utmost respect and prepare properly.
‘But I’m sure there’s a lot going on in their heads, which is obviously sad.
‘But this is a football tournament so we have to just kind of focus on ourselves and hopefully get the win again.’
Australian playmaker Amy Sayer has also saluted the bravery of Iran’s players.
Sayer claims the Iranian squad deserve sympathy and respect for continuing to play while the conflict engulfing their nation intensifies.
‘Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,’ Sayer told reporters on Tuesday.
‘They played last night [on Monday], and they put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.
Matildas player Amy Sayer praised Iran’s bravery to continue playing at the Asian Cup
Iran has plenty of support in Australia at the Asian Cup as political turmoil ravages their country
‘I think we’re excited and looking forward to the game on Thursday … The best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football that we’re able and to show them the respect on the field.
‘Hopefully the situation improves and they can keep staying safe in Australia.’
There were fears Iran would not take part in the tournament when a series of protests sparked civil unrest in January.
The Iranians arrived on the Gold Coast last week and are sharing a hotel with the Matildas in the lead-up to Thursday’s game.
‘Whenever we do come across them we’ll be able to say a cordial ‘hello’ and be able to give them our words of sympathy,’ Sayer said.
‘They are another team in the tournament and you don’t want to give them any space in order to give away any competitive advantage, regardless of the situation
‘Of course, we are all kind humans, and we can give them a ‘hello’ and a ‘good luck’ to wish them well.’
The anthem incident on the Gold Coast isn’t the first time an Iranian national team has staged a protest about the regime that runs the country.
At the 2022 men’s World Cup, the players did not sing the national anthem or celebrate the two goals they scored in their opening match against England.
The team’s actions came as a women’s protest movement against the regime was met by a brutal crackdown by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Last month it was reported that two Iranian women’s players had pulled out of the team shortly before the Asian Cup, as another protest movement was being put down in her country.
One of them, defender Kousar Kamali, wrote on social media: ‘When the heart is wounded and the soul is tired, football is no longer a refuge. I can’t pretend everything is normal.
‘This decision is not out of anger, it is out of awareness. It is not out of disrespect, it is out of respect for my conscience.’
Sayer is likely to feature more heavily against Iran after being given a late cameo off the bench in Sunday’s win over the Philippines in Perth.
The 24-year-old has long been touted as a mainstay of the Matildas but was robbed of a place at the Paris Olympics after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
‘It didn’t quite feel like such a momentous occasion, but it was my first major tournament debut,’ Sayer said.
‘Regardless of whether I’m starting or on the bench, I’m still giving 110 per cent in every training session and in all the warm-ups in order to make sure that we come away with the trophy.’
