For the first time in years: women in the football stadiums in Iran!
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On Thursday, women were allowed for the first time in more than two years in Iran to attend a football match between the national team and Iraq in a stadium in Tehran, as part of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
On Thursday, the women entered the stadium through a private entrance through a car park, where female police in chadors with a red armband around their arms manned the entrance.
The men entered from another entrance.
About 40 years ago, the Islamic Republic generally banned spectators from entering stadiums, especially football matches, under the influence of hard-line clerics.
But in September 2019, FIFA asked Iran to allow women to enter stadiums without restrictions.
A month later, women were able to enter Azadi Stadium to attend a match between Iran and Cambodia organized to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
A group of Iranian female fans sat behind the goal of the Iraqi national team, and the men were in another part of the stadium.
Despite their separation, the fans, men and women, cheered in unison in support of their team and their voices resounded on the field while a small group of Iraqis could barely make themselves heard.
ISNA news agency reported that 10,000 tickets were available for this match, including 2,000 for women.
The match ended, according to "Russia Today", with Iran's 1-0 victory over Iraq, ensuring its qualification to the World Cup finals for the sixth time.
In October 2019, the last time women were allowed to attend the Iran team match, they were separated from the men while police followed them.
But since then, the national team matches have been played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 containment restrictions.
FIFA intervened and directed Iran to open stadiums to women after the death of cheerleader Sahar Khodayari, who set herself on fire in front of the court for fear of imprisonment because she wanted to watch a match.
The young woman, who was known as "The Blue Girl" after the colors of the Independence Club she supported, tried to enter the stadium while disguised as a young man.
Her death sparked outrage, with many calling for Iran to be banned from international matches and a boycott of its matches.
FIFA has been pressing for years for Iran to open its stadiums to women, but until 2019 Tehran only allowed a limited number of women and on a few occasions to attend some matches (with a maximum of 1,000 fans in November 2018).
Iranian women entering the Azadi stadium - for Iran's match vs.
Iraq - with the chant of "Iran! Iran!"
pic.twitter.com/AbY4PD8AJn
— Persian Soccer (@prznsoccer) January 27, 2022
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