Jordan thinks Iran women’s soccer team goalkeeper is a man, demands investigation

Jordan has called on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to launch an investigation to determine the gender of the goalkeeper on the Iranian women’s football team, with Tehran denying foul play.

Iran beat Jordan 4-2 on penalties, after a goalless draw on September 25, to qualify for the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in its history.

The president of the Jordan Football Association, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, tweeted on Sunday a letter “requesting a gender verification check” on the Iranian player in question, suggesting that the keeper was a man posing as a woman.

Hussein described it as “a very serious issue if true,” and called on the AFC to “please wake up.”

بعد اشتباههم بأنها رجل.. الاتحاد الأردني لكرة القدم يقدم شكوى رسمية للاتحاد الآسيوي للتحقق من جنس حارسة #إيران بالتصفيات الآسيوية وشدد الخطاب الأردني على أن الإيرانيين لهم سوابق بالتزوير وتعاطي المنشطات.. فهل حارسة إيران للسيدات رجل أم امرأة؟#العربية pic.twitter.com/iB33HOOsIV

— العربية (@AlArabiya) November 14, 2021

But Iran team’s selector, Maryam Irandoost, dismisses the allegation. “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,” Irandoost tells sports news site Varzesh3. “We will provide any documentation that the Asian Confederation of Football wishes without wasting time.”