After beating Wales 2-0 in the second match, Iran is back in contention for a place in the last 16.
With their country riven by uneasiness, Iran’s football platoon are trapped in an insolvable position at the World Cup as they head into a decisive clash with the United States. They’re criticised at home, where the security forces are battling protesters, whether they state support for demonstrators or they stay quiet. The Iranians have claimed since the launch of the competition that they’re in Qatar to” fight for the people and bring them joy”. But Carlos Queiroz’s platoon are torn between clashing interests as the Islamic democracy’s government confronts wide demonstrations sparked by the death in guardianship of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress law for women.
The Norway- grounded Iran Human Rights group says further than 410 people have been killed in a government crackdown. The uneasiness at home has put the Iranian players under violent pressure.
“You do not indeed imagine behind the scenes what these kiddies have been living in the last many days, just because they want to express themselves as footballers,” Portuguese trainer Queiroz said after Iran lost their first game against England 6- 2.
But after beating Wales 2- 0 in the alternate match, the platoon are back in contention for a place in the last 16. Having to take on Iran’s political nemesis, the United States, has only boosted the limelight going into Tuesday’s match.
Before the World Cup demurred off, Iranian players earned social media cheer for refusing to sing the public hymn or to celebrate pretensions after Amini’s September 16 death.
But the tone changed after Queiroz and his players met President Ebrahim Raisi before flying to Qatar.” Team Melli”, as the public side is known, has traditionally been a unifying force in the football- frenetic country. Now it’s a symbol of the divisions.
Whoops of” freedom” chimed out from Iranians in the colosseum when Iran took on England. They also cried the name of Ali Karimi, the Bayern Munich player who has come a government critic. But players similar as Mehdi Torabi and Vahid Amiri are considered government sympathizers, and cuts were also hurled from the daises.
Before the England game, the players stayed silent during the public hymn. Against Wales, they sang half- heartedly.
The government seized on the palm achieved with injury time pretensions. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the players had made” the Iranian nation happy”.
Jean- Baptiste Guegan, a French specialist on politics in sport, said the players are traipsing a fine line as they risk warrants on their return from the World Cup. However, indeed quietly, they risk being reprimanded,” If the players show their support for the rebellion.
“On the other hand, there are activists and people involved in the struggle, who are risking their lives in Iran and want to see them( the platoon) be a symbol.”
The platoon could also face suspense by FIFA for making political gestures.” It’s the players’ dilemma,” said Guegan.
” Whatever they do they will suffer the consequences. There’s a real threat for them if the situation worsens in Iran.”
Last week, Iranian- Kurdish former transnational player Voria Ghafouri, was arrested for spreading” propaganda” against the state. He was ultimately freed on bail on Monday. Iranian football legend Ali Daei, who also played at Bayern Munich, said he’d been” hovered “after expressing support for demonstrators. Know More FIFA News…
