Jordan accuses Iranian female footballer of being a man

Jordan has demanded a gender test following its loss to Iran in a Women’s Asian Cup qualifier

File: Iran women’s football team during a training session (GETTY IMAGES)

Jordan has asked the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to launch an investigation to verify the gender of a player on the Iranian football team.

On 25 September, Iran qualified for the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in its history, following a 4-2 win on penalties after a goalless draw against Jordan.

Iranian goalkeeper Zohreh Koudaei proved the difference by saving two spot kicks.

However on Sunday, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, the president of the Jordan Football Association, tweeted a letter dated 5 November “requesting a gender verification check” on the Iranian goalkeeper, suggesting that the player was a man posing as a woman.

Iran has denied the allegations and said it is willing to provide documentation to the AFC.

Mr Hussein said this was “a very serious issue if true” and called on the AFC to “please wake up”.

The letter claimed that the “Iranian Women Football team has a history with gender and doping issues.”

In 2015, the Iranian team was accused of acting unethically after eight members of the team were alleged to be men.

In 2014, the country introduced random gender checks on its players after four men were found to be playing on the women’s team who had reportedly not completed sex change operations.

Despite Iran’s sharia-based laws, sex change operations are reportedly legal and common.

Iran’s team selector Maryam Irandoost said fans of the football team had nothing to worry about.

“The medical staff have carefully examined each player on the national team in terms of hormones to avoid any problems in this regard,” she told sports news site Varzesh 3.

“We will provide any documentation that the Asian Confederation of Football wishes without wasting time.”

The 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup will take place in January in India