Iran’s players sang the national anthem and saluted before their last group match at the Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday in Australia, having stayed defiantly silent earlier in the tournament.
When Iran faced South Korea on Monday in their opening game the players stood motionless, two days after the US and Israel began a war against the country.
But on Thursday in their second game, against hosts Australia, all the Iranian players saluted and sang the anthem on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Against the Philippines on Sunday they again sang and saluted as the rain came down on the Gold Coast.
No public reason was given for their original stance, but coach Marziyeh Jafari has said her team had “so much concern” about their families as the conflict raged and that players felt “fully disconnected” from their loved ones.
Iran lost 3-0 to South Korea and 4-0 to Australia.
