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Allow Iranian Women to Attend Matches, Says Asian Soccer Official

Reuters

   KUALA LUMPUR - Iranian women should be allowed to attend men's World
   Cup qualifiers in the Islamic Republic later this year, a top Asian
   soccer official said Tuesday, ramping up pressure on Tehran to end a
   long-running ban.

   Iranian women have long been barred from watching men's teams play, but
   Tehran relaxed the rule last year to allow hundreds of women to watch
   the Asian Champions League final organized by the Asian Football
   Confederation (AFC).

   The AFC, the Asian football governing body which has 47 members that
   include Iran, said it was working to help world soccer governing body
   FIFA find an "amicable solution" that would allow them to attend future
   games.

   "Everybody needs to be catered, it's an inclusive game. Women play the
   game in Iran, men play the game, so everybody should be able to watch,"
   AFC general secretary Windsor John told the Thomson Reuters Foundation
   in an interview.

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