A qualifying game for the 2022 Women's Asia Cup between Jordan and Iran has been overshadowed by the former accusing the latter of fielding a male player. Iran won the game 4-2, with their goalkeeper Zohreh Koudaei subject to the accusation. Koudaei, the Iran shot-stopper, saved two penalties as the win ensured Iran's qualification for the Asia Cup.
Zohreh Koudaei, the Iranian women’s team goalkeeper, has been accused of being a man by the Jordan Football Association.The accusation follows Iran’s victory against Jordan in September. The two sides were contesting a qualifying match for the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in India in January.Iran triumphed in a penalty shoot-out, winning 4-2 after Koudaei made two excellent saves. As a result, Iran earned a place at the Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in the country’s history.
Posting on his Twitter account, Jordan Football Association President Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein shared a letter to the Asian Football Confederation calling for an official investigation into the sex of Koudaei. The letter reveals the Jordan Football Association submitted a "gender verification check" for Koudaei in September, which was then rejected by the AFC.
In response, the Jordan Football Association has demanded an investigation by a "panel of independent medical experts". "We duly acknowledge article 47 of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup India 2022 Competition Regulations, and understand that gender verification is not mandatory for participating players," the letter reads.
"However, the article reserves the right for AFC to initiate a transparent and clear investigation by a panel of independent medical experts to investigate the eligibility of the player in question and others on the team." The letter also claims Iran has a "history with gender and doping issues." This is likely to be referring to allegations made in 2015 by Mojtabi Sharifi, an official working closely with the Iranian league.
Sharifi claimed eight members of Iran’s women’s football team were actually men awaiting sex change operations, but these allegations were never proven to be true. After publishing the letter, Prince Ali, a former FIFA vice-president, commented: "It’s a very serious issue if true." "Please wake up @theafcdotcom," he added, tagging the AFC’s Twitter account.
Iranian officials have rejected the calls from the Jordan Football Association to have Koudaei’s sex investigated. "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," head coach Maryam Irandoost told Iranian sports news website Varzesh3.
"We will provide any documentation that the Asian Confederation of Football wishes without wasting time." According to the Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, Koudaei has been forced to defend herself from questions over her gender several times in the past.Jordan has sparked outrage in the football community after the country accused an international female player of actually being a man. The country has called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to conduct an official investigation into Iran's goalkeeper, Zohreh Koudaei, to determine her sex, as per the India Times.
He added that the allegations are 'very serious if true' and it's not clear what 'evidence' Jordan has submitted to back up their claims. President Al-Hussein stated in his submission that while gender verification isn't mandatory, there is a provision that allows them to request a player be checked for their sex.
The serious accusations have come after Iran beat Jordan in a penalty shootout in their 2022 Women's Asian Cup qualifier back in September. Iran ended up winning the shootout 4-2, with Koudaei emerging as the hero thanks to two brilliant saves. The victory earned the Iranian women's team its first 2022 Women's Asian Cup appearance in history. However, it appears as if Jordan simply couldn't hack the defeat and the president of the Jordan Football Association, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, has submitted a 'request for gender verification' for Koudaei.
The allegations have made headlines in both countries, with some people suggesting Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein is only crying for foul play because his team lost. As for the Iranian national team, officials have been quick to leap to the defence of Zohreh Koudaei. Team selector Maryam Irandoost told Varzesh3: "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.
