Iranian goalkeeper Zahra Kodai was accused of being a man by Jordan’s football association after Jordan lost to Iran in a women’s Asia Cup qualifier.
The match took place on September 25, where the Islamic Republic won by 4 to 2 on penalties. Kodai saved two penalties in the penalty shoot-out for Iran to qualify for the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup for the first time.
Following the defeat, Jordan’s football association requested a gender verification check for the player and said that they hope the due process would be followed to “uphold the integrity of the game in Asia.” The notice also stated that the “Iranian Women Football team has a history with gender and doping issues.”
Iran has previously been accused of fielding men in the national football team. In 2014, four of their players were banned after they failed gender tests, and in 2015 eight players were accused of being men and awaiting gender reassignment surgeries.
The notice for the gender verification check was posted by Jordan’s prince and former vice-president of FIFA, Ali Al Hussein, on Twitter. He said that “it’s a very serious issue if true.” He demanded the Asian Football Confederation to “Please wake up.”
Hussein’s tweet took Twitter by storm. Users condemned his comments and asked him to apologize to the player.
Translation: Morally, you are required to apologize to the player and to the Jordanians for your years of failure in a position for which you are not qualified. The method of "dealing" with suspicions was random, unprofessional and immoral, embarrassing Jordan and covering up your failure to run the union...not all "dealing" is the same.
Many users said they stand in solidarity with the goalkeeper.
Translation: A person can be faulted in his morals, but it is shameful to fault him in his character that he did not choose. All solidarity with the goalkeeper of the Iranian women's football team. Against the campaign of bullying and mockery of immoral people.
Maryam Irandoost, the coach of the Iranian women’s team old a news agency Khabar Online that this entire issue is being created “just as an excuse not to accept defeat against Iranian women.” She said that “it was natural” for the Jordan team to “calm themselves under false pretexts.”
