The minutes leading up to the start of the 2022 World Cup Group B match between England and Iran were marked by protests from both teams, with Iranian players refraining from playing the national anthem and the British demonstrating against racism.
Eleven players selected for the starting lineup by Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, including the forward of FC Porto Taremi, remained impassive on the lawn of the Khalifa Stadium in Doha, not uttering a word to the national anthem.
The captain of the Iranian team, striker Alireza Jahanbakhsh, said that the players of the national team will make a “collective decision” on the possibility of not singing the words of the anthem in the first match of the 2022 World Cup, as a way to support the victims of demonstrations against the government of this Middle Eastern country.
Iranian players already took the same position on September 27 during the preparatory game for the tournament taking place in Austria against Senegal (1-1), even wearing clothes without any reference to the symbols of Iran.
Outrage in Iran over the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, sparked the largest wave of anti-government protests since 2019 against rising gasoline prices in the oil-rich country.
Masha Amini was arrested on 13 September by the so-called morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in the Islamic Republic, including wearing the hijab.
The England players also expressed their opposition to racism ahead of the match, which ended at half-time with Europe leading 3-0 with a knee on the pitch.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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