Iran forward Sara Didar struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about the situation in her country. The Iranian team is in Australia to play the Women’s Asian Cup, but their thoughts remain with their families at home during the war.
Didar spoke to reporters on Wednesday before Iran’s Group A match against Australia.
“Obviously we’re all concerned and we’re sad at what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran,” Didar said.
“I really hope for our country to have good news ahead. And I hope that my country will be strongly alive.”
The 21 year old striker stood with her teammates in silence as Iran’s national anthem played before their opening match against South Korea on Monday at Gold Coast Stadium. Iran lost that game.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia before the latest strikes by Israel and the United States on Saturday. Those attacks led to a wider conflict in the region.
Head coach Marziyeh Jafari and the players avoided speaking about the war during their first official news conference on Sunday. They also did not comment on the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Before Wednesday’s press conference, an Asian Football Confederation moderator asked reporters to focus only on football and avoid questions about the war. When the topic came up, both Didar and Jafari shared their concern for people in Iran.
“Obviously we have so much concern regarding the health of our families and our loved ones and all other Iranian people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with,” Jafari said.
She said communication has been limited because of blackouts in Iran.
“But, here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on our football and match ahead.”
Some Iranian fans attended Monday’s match and showed their support. They waved the red, green and white national colors. Some also carried flags from before the Islamic revolution and cheered for the team.
Didar said the players felt encouraged by the support from Iranian Australians.
“We feel very good that we see many Iranians supporting us, it really encourages us and we really appreciate it,” Didar said. “I know the stadium will be full tomorrow, and hope that we have a great atmosphere.”
Australia head coach Joe Montemurro said he hopes the Iranian team will receive strong support and respect during the match. Thursday’s game at Gold Coast Stadium is expected to draw a full crowd.
This will be only the second meeting between the two women’s national teams. Australia won their last meeting in Perth in 2023.
“We want to give them the best tournament possible in terms of giving them the experience of a lifetime,” Montemurro said. “For us, it’s about just showing our human compassion, our respect and show them how beautiful we are as a country, and how beautiful we are as Australians.”
Australia started the tournament with a 1-0 win over Philippines. A victory over Iran will secure their place in the quarterfinals.
Iran are also chasing an important goal in the tournament. They hope to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. To do that, they must finish among the top eight teams in the Asian Cup.
