Amid US-Israeli conflict, Iran captain hopes to qualify for World Cup

Zahra Gambari (Image: X)

New Delhi: The presidents of Iran’s football federation on Sunday extended their “full support and assistance” to the women’s Asian Cup match in Australia, following a massive attack by the United States and Israel on the Iranian team’s homeland. A 26-strong Iranian squad arrived on the Gold Coast days after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an attack on Saturday over Washington and Tel Aviv’s attempts to overthrow the Islamic Republic.They are scheduled to play against South Korea on Monday.

The AFC said in a statement that it “will continue to closely monitor the latest developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.”“The AFC’s priority remains the welfare, safety and security of all players, coaches, officials and fans,” it added.“We are in close and regular contact with the Iranian women’s national team and Gold Coast officials in this regard and offer our full support and assistance.”Iran coach Marziye Jaafari held a pre-match press conference on Sunday but focused on football, saying the tournament was an opportunity to showcase “the potential of Iranian women.”“After the Iranian league season ended, we participated in three training camps together and then came to Australia where we had several fruitful training sessions, so I hope we can show you a good game tomorrow,” she said.The 12-team tournament kicks off on Sunday and for many Iranian players it will be one of the biggest stages ever.They made a historic debut at the last Asian Cup in India in 2022 and suffered heavy defeats to China and Taiwan, but it made them national heroes in a country where women’s rights are severely restricted.“The group stage was easier for India in 2022 and now in 2026 we come with more experience but the group stage is tougher,” said Jafari, who also includes hosts Australia and the Philippines.“But we (still) want to showcase the potential of Iranian women in these competitions.”Iran showed their mettle in Australia’s qualifying round, beating favorites Jordan to seal a back-to-back spot.Captain Zahra Ghanbari says her dreams are big.The 33-year-old said: “I believe it’s a fantastic tournament with good teams, but we really want to qualify for the World Cup.”“We know it’s going to be a tough game but we have a strong mentality and we want to do our best.”The top six players will qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.