Zurich (AFP)
Fifa plans to send a delegation to Iran on Oct. 10 during the qualifying match for World Cup-2022 between Iran and Cambodia where supporters must be admitted, AFP told AFP on Thursday.
This delegation must include former French international Yuri Djorkaeff, recently appointed to the leadership of the Fifa Foundation, which among other goals include making football more accessible to girls in the Middle East.
"Iran is a strong news and I am organizing myself to be there on October 10", date of the meeting, told AFP Yuri Djorkaeff, in his first interview since his appointment there is one week.
The presence of a delegation in Iran is important "to show that FIFA has come there with conviction," added the former midfielder of the Blues, winner of the 1998 World Cup.
On Sunday, Fifa President Gianni Infantino said he was "assured" by Iran that women could attend the match on October 10, after calls to ban Iran from international competitions following the death of a supporter. .
Sahar Khodayari set himself on fire following his arrest for attempting to enter a stadium.
Celebrities, footballers and activists have called on social networks, FIFA to ban Iran from international competitions and fans to boycott matches. On Tuesday, the Iranian judiciary announced that it would investigate his death.
A FIFA delegation recently traveled to Tehran where they had "productive discussions" with officials from the government and the Iranian Federation about the presence of women in the stadiums.
Iranian women have been banned from stadiums since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with religious leaders arguing that they must be protected from the "masculine atmosphere" and "half-naked men".
While a small number of women have been able to attend international matches in recent years, others have been prosecuted for entering a stadium outside of these occasions.
© 2019 AFP