Australia’s Amy Sayer praises Iran players’ bravery amid homeland turmoil
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Iran is set to face Australia in their second group-stage match on March 5, following a 3-0 defeat to South Korea on March 2.
PHOTO: REUTERS
GOLD COAST – Australia midfielder Amy Sayer has hailed the courage of Iran’s women’s football team for competing at the Asian Cup while their homeland faces escalating political unrest and military strikes.
Iran are set to face Australia in their second group-stage match on March 5 on the Gold Coast, following a 3-0 defeat to South Korea
Despite the one-sided scoreline, the Iranians delivered a spirited performance under difficult circumstances, playing after US and Israeli air strikes began targeting their country
“Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s a difficult situation and it’s really brave of them to be able to be here and to perform,” Sayer said on March 3.
“They played last night and they put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.
“We’re excited and looking forward to the game on Thursday. The best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football that we’re able and to show them the respect on the field.
“Hopefully the situation improves and they can keep staying safe in Australia.”
Sayer’s comments came after Matildas captain Sam Kerr also showed support for the Iranian team.
“They’re just young girls and young footballers... we will treat the game like any other game and show the team the utmost respect and prepare properly,” the skipper said.
Iran’s players stood respectfully during their national anthem before the South Korea match on March 2 but remained silent throughout its duration.
The players and coach Marziyeh Jafari declined to comment on the situation or the death of their long-serving leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Feb 28
The coach focused her post-match comments on the match.
“We knew that we would have a tough game as Korea is one of the toughest teams in Asia,” the 43-year-old said.
“They played very well, so I congratulate them and I hope we can come back to the competition powerfully.
“We had a strategy for the second half and we put pressure (on them), we transitioned from defensive to offensive (tactics).
“We had an individual error for the penalty and also the set piece (goal conceded) was one of our players’ fault. But I think the team performance was very good.”
Sayer added of Iran: “They are another team in the tournament and you don’t want to give them any space in order to give away any competitive advantage, regardless of the situation.
“Of course, we are all kind humans, and we can give them a ‘hello’ and a ‘good luck’ to wish them well.”
The 24-year-old Sayer is expected to have an extended role in the match on March 5 following a substitute appearance in Australia’s 1-0 win over the Philippines
