Angry Iran complain to FIFA after women's team banned from playing due to Islamic kit

Ill-fated: The Iran team pose before their scheduled match against Jordan

Iran's dream of competing in the London 2012 Olympic women's football tournament have been crushed by a ruling that their Islamic dress broke FIFA rules.

Iran are complaining to world football's governing body after their women's team were banned from playing, moments before an Olympic qualifier against Jordan last week, due to their full-body strip that includes a head scarf.

The head of women's affairs at Iran's football federation said Iran had made changes to the women's kit after a FIFA ban last year and believed it had been given the approval of the world federation and of president Sepp Blatter.







We made the required corrections and played a match afterwards,' Farideh Shojaei said. 'We played the next round and were not prevented from doing so, and they didn't find anything wrong. That meant that there are no obstacles in our path, and that we could participate in the Olympics.'

FIFA's rules for the 2012 Olympics state that: 'Players and officials shall not display political, religious, commercial or personal messages or slogans in any language or form on their playing or team kits.'

In order to comply with the mandatory dress code in the Islamic Republic, Iran's women footballers play in full tracksuits and headcoverings that conceal their hair.

'(Iran football federation chief Ali) Kafashian took it to FIFA and showed it to Mr Sepp Blatter. And they proved that this conduct conforms to the fourth article of the FIFA constitution, which says (a kit should be) devoid of politics or religion,' Shojaei said.

'In reality, this kit is neither religious, nor political, nor will it lead to harm a player. They proved this, and Mr Sepp Blatter accepted this and we participated in the Olympics.'

Whatever the result of Iran's complaint, it was unlikely that the team, who were awarded a 3-0 defeat in the unplayed qualifier in Amman, would have qualified for 2012, Shojaei said.

'It is extremely difficult to predict what results will come out of this, but I think it unlikely because the preliminary games will not be repeated.

'The countries that invested, and spent money and time and took part in the second round will clearly not be willing to repeat these games, especially if this week it becomes clear which team will enter the final round. So it is extremely unlikely.'

FIFA made no immediate comment on the controversy.