November 1 – The Ukrainian FA has called on FIFA to throw Iran out of the World Cup over what it describes as the country’s “systematic human rights violations” and “the possible involvement of Iran in the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine”.
Iran are due to kick off their World Cup campaign against England on November 21 but anti-government protests have swept through the country since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 for allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules over women wearing the hijab.
A group of Iranian sports personalities have already called on FIFA to kick Iran out on the basis that the failure to allow women to attend matches in the country constituted a breach of FIFA statutes.
And Ukraine’s top club Shakhtar Donetsk has called for the same punishment following Iran’s “direct participation in terrorist attacks on Ukrainians” and accusations that the country had supplied “Kamikaze” drones to Russia.
Now Ukraine’s national FA has added further political pressure.
A statement on the UAF’s official website read: “Taking into account media information about systematic human rights violations in Iran, which may violate the principles and norms of the FIFA Statutes, taking into account the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 regarding the imposition of sanctions on Iran and the possible involvement of Iran in the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine, (the executive committee of the Ukrainian football federation has decided) to make a request to the FIFA to consider excluding the Iranian national team from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”
It is highly unlikely, however, that FIFA would take such radical action with the tournament so close and all the logistical arrangements in place.
Besides which the draw would have to be revamped and Iran’s group opponents – England, Wales and the United States – would have to totally rethink their preparations. Plus it would be nigh impossible to decide which country should replace Iran which qualified as one of Asia’s teams.
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