The Jordanian Football Association has asked the Asian Football Confederation to initiate an independent investigation into the gender of the goalkeeper of the Iranian women's national team, following a request submitted last September. In response, the head coach of the Iranian team described the speculation as "an excuse to justify the defeat."
In the qualifying match on September 25, Jordan drew with Iran 0-0 in Tashkent but lost in a penalty shootout 4-2, which allowed Iran to secure the top spot in the group and qualify for the finals for the first time in its history.
Doubts were raised about the gender of Iran's goalkeeper, Zahra Koudaii, who saved two penalty kicks from the Jordanian team, contributing to Iran's qualification for the continental finals. The Jordanian association called for the rules and regulations pertaining to the 2022 Asian Cup in India to be applied, which stipulate the verification of the eligibility of participating players.
Commenting on the Jordanian association's statement on November 5, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association, tweeted on Sunday, "A very serious issue. AFC, please wake up."
In response, Iranian women's national team coach Maryam Irandoost said that the rumors about the goalkeeper's gender are simply an excuse for the Jordanian team's inability to accept defeat against the Iranians. She added in statements reported by Fars News Agency, "After the defeat of the Jordanian team, it was natural for them to try to soothe themselves with false excuses."
Irandoost emphasized that before embarking on their qualifying journey, they conducted necessary examinations, with the medical staff carefully checking each player in the team to avoid any issues in this regard. She reassured Iranian fans, stating, "Do not worry about this matter because there is no issue threatening our team; we will provide any documentation the AFC wants, as we are at peace with our conscience."
The Women’s Asian Cup will be held next January in India. The Jordanian association stated, "We understand that gender verification is not mandatory for participating players, but the article reserves the right of the Asian Football Confederation to verify and take appropriate actions in case of doubt regarding a participating player's eligibility."
They continued, "Based on the evidence presented by the Jordanian Football Association and considering the importance of this competition, we call on the Asian Football Confederation to conduct a transparent and clear investigation by an independent medical committee to verify the eligibility of the player in question and others in the team, especially since the Iranian women's football team has a history of gender issues and doping cases," as reported by AFP.
