Anger after the historic meeting: "Discrimination against women"

Following international pressure, women were allowed to play soccer in Iran for the first time since 1981.

But despite large parts of the giant Azadi Stadium gaping empty in the World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, no more tickets were released for women than the predetermined 3,500.

In a separate section, overseen by 150 female police officers, the 3,500 women sat at Azadi Stadium and watched Iran win the World Cup qualifier against Cambodia by 14-0. But the fact that the total on the giant arena - which can take in around 100,000 spectators, but is limited to 78,000 for safety reasons - was thus reported to be around only 10,000 spectators did not mean that more tickets for women were released.

- I am 18 and for 14 years I have dreamed of going to an arena. But I did not get a ticket, says the student Guelareh to the news agency AFP.

Maryam Shojaei - a well-known women's rights activist and sister of national team captain Masoud Shojaei, is upset that the women were forced to sit apart from the men.

"It's a positive thing, but part of me is very angry, not least that they put women on a separate section," she told Reuters news agency.

- This is a typical example of gender discrimination when there are thousands of empty chairs and women are still not allowed to buy tickets. Many women are very angry.

It was the first time since 1981 that women in Iran were given the right to buy tickets to a football match, after a ban was instituted following the country's Islamic revolution two years earlier.

However, the tragic incident in September with Sahar Khodayari, the Iranian woman who died after lighting a fire on himself for fear of being sentenced to prison for a football match, opened his eyes to the world's football leader.

Gianni Infantino, chairman of the International Football Federation (Fifa), pressured the Iranian Football Association to allow female spectators on men's national matches - and received a pledge regarding the match against Cambodia on Thursday.

But Maryam Shojaei now wants Fifa to continue with its pressure on Iran to enable women to have exactly the same access to tickets for all football matches in the country.

One of the reasons behind the ban is that it is allegedly protecting women from hearing supporters swear.

"I don't believe barred sections will protect women from vulgar words or profanity," Maryam Shojaei told Reuters.

- Why can we sit next to each other in other public spaces but not in arenas? If a man wants to go on a match with his ten-year-old daughter, he can't.

Maryam Shojaei believes that Sahar Khodayari's death has changed the general attitude of people, but not of those who decide.

- I think they think that if they give in to this they will have to give up in many other areas.