Two more Iranian female footballers pull Australia asylum bids: state media | Football news

Seven members of Iran’s football delegation applied for asylum, with four now understood to have withdrawn their applications.

Two more Iranian female footballers and their support staff have reportedly withdrawn their requests for asylum in Australia, which were granted after the team refused to sing Iran’s national anthem at the Asian Cup tournament, fearing they could face punishment upon their return home.

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on Saturday that the three had posted a picture of the women boarding the plane, which they said had “abandoned their asylum application in Australia and are currently on their way to Malaysia”.

The Iranian team’s participation in a football tournament at the Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leaders and more than 170 people, mostly schoolgirls.

After refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem in their first match, the team was branded “traitors” by IRIB commentators, who said in viral comments that their actions were “the height of disrespect” and that they should be “dealt with more severely”.

The comments prompted FIFPRO, the global body representing professional footballers, to urge FIFA and the AFC to “take all necessary measures” to protect Iranian players, whose safety grew after Australian media reported Iranian government officials were monitoring them.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped out of the team hotel under cover of darkness to seek refuge in Australia. A sixth player and support staff sought refuge before the rest of the team flew out of Sydney earlier this week.

But one of the players withdrew her request earlier in the week and was in touch with the rest of the squad, who are believed to be in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, awaiting their return to Iran.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told lawmakers that the player, later identified as Mohdese Zolfigol, changed her decision on the advice of her teammates and was “encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy”.

Iran’s governing body has accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to leave their home country against their will.