Loud boos were heard from Iranian fans as the anthem played, with the team singing softly as they played. Iranian authorities have responded with lethal force to quell protests that marked one of the boldest challenges to its religious leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
اکثر بازیکنان سرود جمهوری اسلامی را خواندند. #مهسا_امینی https://t.co/tvKJVL4beL
— Sepehr Atefi (@sepehra) 1669370673000
Iran, which qualified for the last two World Cups, has never qualified for the round of 16.
Iran’s trip to Qatar has been clouded by unrest at home. The nation has been rocked by protests after the 22-year-old died Mahsa Aminidied while in the custody of the vice squad for allegedly breaking the country’s mandatory dress code for women.
The moment Iranian fans booed during their national anthem in protest against the government https://t.co/NAJ7KcuRPX
— Kabob (@KabobFn) 1669370343000
Activists have called for Iran to be expelled from the World Cup before the tournament begins.
Fans have accused the team of rallying to a state crackdown on unrest in Iran in which activists said more than 400 people were killed, but in their opening game against England On Monday, Iranian players did not sing the country’s national anthem and continued. lose the match 2-6.
Iran on Thursday arrested a former international footballer of Kurdish origin who has strongly backed protests that have rocked the country since September, news agencies said.
Voria Ghafourian outspoken figure who appeared 28 times for Iran until 2019, was arrested after a club training session on charges of spreading ‘propaganda’ against the Islamic republic, has reported the Fars news agency.
Ghafouri is one of the most high-profile figures arrested in a large-scale crackdown on protests, amid scrutiny of the national team’s conduct at the World Cup in Qatar.
Ghafouri, 35, was on Iran’s 2018 World Cup squad list but was not named in the final roster contesting this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
(With agency contributions)
