The global players' union FIFPRO has urged the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA to undertake all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Iran's Women's National Team players. This call comes after an Iranian state television presenter, Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, labelled the team "wartime traitors" following their decision not to sing the national anthem before their Asian Cup opener against South Korea in Australia earlier this week.

The Iranian players' silent protest during the anthem was met with severe criticism from state media, with Shahbazi describing it as a "lack of patriotism" and the "pinnacle of dishonour." In a widely circulated video, he stated, "Traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely. Anyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely. Like this matter of our women's football team not singing the national anthem... these people must be dealt with more severely."

In a detailed statement on social media platform X, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania expressed deep concern over these remarks, highlighting that they significantly heighten risks for the players if they return to Iran after the tournament. The union called on AFC and FIFA to uphold their human rights obligations under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and FIFA's Human Rights Policy, and to urgently engage with the Iranian Football Association, the Australian Government, and other relevant authorities to ensure every effort is made to protect the players' safety.

While the team remained silent during the anthem in their first match, they sang and saluted before their subsequent game against Australia three days later. Forward Sara Didar fought back tears while speaking about the war ahead of the Australia match, and coach Marziyeh Jafari noted that her players are striving to focus on the tournament despite concerns for their families back home. Iran is set to face the Philippines in their final group match on Sunday, as the international football community watches closely amid growing safety concerns.

Source: www.aljazeera.com