Amid war at home, resilient Iran continues its Women’s Asian Cup campaign with hope

When Iran took the field for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup opener against South Korea at Robina Stadium, it was natural that the players were not fully focused as a war raged at home, starting with a major attack from Israel and the United States.

As the national anthem was played in the stadium, none of the Iranian players or even head coach Marziyeh Jafari sang along as they all made somber faces and held back tears.

After a while, smiles broke out as the players greeted a small group of supporters in the red, white and green national colors in one part of the stadium.

Despite the ongoing conflict, the players could only concentrate on football. That was the general consensus within the team. Even before the match, Jafari had refused to comment on the military attacks or the death of her country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, choosing to focus on the task at hand.

Ultimately, however, the match ended 3–0 in favor of South Korea, with Choe Yu-ri, Kim Hye-ri and Ko Yoo-jin on the scoresheet.

Iran next takes on Australia at the same venue on the Gold Coast.

Published on March 3, 2026