The Iran women's football team became "heroes" when they declined to sing the country's national anthem at the Asian Cup, says former Iran men's head coach Afshin Ghotbi. The Iran players sang and saluted during the anthem in their following matches against tournament hosts Australia and the Philippines. "You want to compete at your best, but then before even the game starts you have to decide how you're going to stand, how you're going to look and what you're going to do. Ghotbi said he saw something similar with the Iran men's team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "If they salute and sing the national anthem, they are embraced and endeared by the government.

Source: BBC March 14, 2026 05:54 UTC