Iran has placed huge signs in Tehran hailing the Iranian goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team as a “heroic girl” after being accused by the Jordanian FA of being a man.
Zohreh Koudaei (32), saved two penalties during a shootout win over Jordan in Uzbekistan, September 25. This victory meant that the Iranian women’s soccer team was qualified for their first Women’s Asia Cup.
After the match, Jordan’s FA requested a gender verification on Koudaei’s part from the Asian Football Federation.
As a result, the goalkeeper promised to sue Jordanian FA as ‘bullying.
To show support, massive posters featuring Koudaei were placed in Tehran. They hail her as an ‘heroic young girl’.
Placards were placed near busy roads and feature Koudaei’s picture with the words: “The hero Zohreh Koudaei, pride of Iran, goalkeeper for the Iranian women’s team.”
It comes after Koudaei said empathetically: ‘I am a woman. This bullying is from Jordan.
According to Hurriyet, she said, “I will sue Jordan FA,”
Iran has put up massive posters throughout Tehran, hailing Goalkeeper of Iranian Women’s Football Team as a Heroic Girl (photo taken Friday). This was after her Jordanian FA accusation of being a Man.
Zohreh Koudaei, 32, today said emphatically: ‘I am a woman. This bullying is from Jordan. According to Hurriyet Turkish Newspaper, she stated, “I will sue Jordan Football Federation.”
Koudaei grabs the ball in the September match against Jordan, fierce rivals
Iran’s national women’s football team have been accused by rivals Jordan of playing a man as a goalkeeper (pictured: Iran keeper Zohreh Koudaei) during an Asian Cup qualifier
Koudaei savagely saves the Jordanian player in the match at Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
Koudaei celebrates the win in Tashkent with a lift for one of her fellow teammates
A Jordan FA letter dated November 5 questioned the “eligibility” of any participating player.
The report also claimed that Iran’s women’s doping team had a long history and demanded that ‘due processes’ be taken.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein (President of Jordan’s FA) shared the letter Saturday. He called it a “very serious issue, if true” and demanded that the AFC please wake up’.
A spokesperson for the AFC stated that they do not comment on any ongoing investigation or/or proceeding, no matter how real or imagined.
Manager of the Iranian team denied these allegations and claimed that Jordanian teams, which were heavily favourites in the match, wanted an excuse for the loss.
Iran’s team coach, Maryam Irandoost, told sports news site Varzesh3 on Sunday: ‘The medical staff have carefully examined each player on the national team in terms of hormones to avoid any problems in this regard, and so I tell all fans not to worry.’
According to Al Arabiya, Koudaei was once questioned about her gender.
The goalkeeper has also defended herself several times in Iranian newspapers in the past
Iran made their debut at the Women’s Asian Cup thanks to Koudaei’s saves of penalties
The coach said that Koudaei had previously represented her country in Asian Cup qualifiers in 2008 and 2010.
“We will give any documentation the Asian Confederation of Football requests without wasting our time,” she said.
Irandoost stated that this accusation was made in order to conceal Jordan’s loss.
“These accusations are only an excuse to not accept the loss against the Iranian women’s national team,” she stated.
The Jordanian team believed they were the favourites for qualifying… when they lost it was normal to try to get relief from false pretences, and escape accountability.
The president of the JFA, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein who is also a former candidate for the FIFA presidency, called on the AFC to ‘please wake up’
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein (President of Jordan’s FA) tweeted an email requesting that Koudaei be gender verified by the Asian Football Federation.
Letter from Jordan Football Association to Asian Football Confederation “requesting gender verification checks” for Iranian Women National Team players
Iran has a lot of women who love football, even though they are forbidden from viewing matches between men.
The Iranian national team has previously been accused of fielding men in the national football team.
Up to 8 players were believed to have been men in waiting for gender surgery, according to reports.
In a previous statement, the Iranian Football Federation stated it would conduct random medical screenings to verify gender.
Since the 1980s, the legality of sex change has been in place in Pakistan. The late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini gave permission to them through a religious ruling.
Maryam Khatoon, a woman who was able to tell him the story of Maryam Khatoon Mokola’s experience with him, described her experiences in prison and how they had forced her into receiving male hormones.
The squad was allegedly made up of men who were waiting for gender surgery in 2015. This picture went viral.
Khomeini made sexchange legal by issuing a decree protecting trans rights and making it legal for sex to occur.
This contrasts with other laws in place regarding sexual morality, such as the Sharia code which prohibits premarital and homosexual sex.
Tehran is a hub for Gender Reassignment Operations and Trans People are welcome in Iran.
For those who desire it, the government will even help with funding for hormone therapy or surgery.
India will host the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.