Remaining players leave Australia amid drama and tears
Updated ,first published
Kuala Lumpur: Less than a third of the way home, the atmosphere became visibly tense as the Iranian football players were escorted off the plane by an Iranian official after landing in Malaysia.
The lionesses touched down in Kuala Lumpur from Sydney just before 8am (AEDT) on Wednesday. This mast was on board during the night flights and watched as they were greeted at the end of the plane’s walkway by Iranian Ambassador to Malaysia Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi.
Dressed in blue robes and flanked by other officers, he signaled that any chance of escape was over.
While some of the chaperones hugged him warmly, many players were staring blankly at their phones. When this pole tried to approach, some women shook their heads and looked away. One of them was sitting absently on the same bench as this writer and was being scolded for getting too close to a journalist.
While team members were shopping and wandering around Sydney before boarding, the mood changed after the final boarding call was made. One woman left the group to hold last-minute talks with her family about whether she would join six players and a support staff who were given humanitarian visas to stay in Australia.
When they boarded the plane, several women began to cry and hugged when they found their seats cluttered in economy class. Others bowed their heads and pointed to their companions when asked to comment. Some of the women were scolded for speaking with this tag or getting too close. When asked which team member was left behind, one nodded.
“I can’t say. I’m not allowed to talk to you,” he said, his face serious.
The old women took their phones and swiped.
This imprint also spoke via a translation app to women waiting to board a flight at Sydney Airport on Tuesday night.
Many of the women – we chose not to name them – repeated the same message: They wanted to return home to their families.
When asked what happened to the members of the delegation who remained in Australia, one of the players simply replied: “They became refugees.”
When asked if she wanted to be a refugee and if Iran was safe, the young woman nodded.
“Iran is at home,” he said.
On Wednesday, Home Secretary Tony Burke confirmed that two more members of Iran’s football delegation had been granted visas to stay. Five players on the team opted to stay after a dramatic intervention and closed-door meetings late Monday night and into Tuesday morning.
One of the two women granted asylum appeared to be considering staying because the Home Office had facilitated last-minute meetings with her family, he said.
“We weren’t sure which direction this person would go. But that person ultimately made his or her own decision.” [to leave]” said Burke.
“There was no pressure on our part to get on the plane.”
But he eventually boarded the plane and joined his teammates, tears streaming down their faces.
Protesters claimed their families had sent them messages telling them to stay away from Iran, while two other women said they had spoken to their families.
One woman shrugged when asked about power outages in Iran. Another began to speak, then gestured to the companion, who repeated the message. “They are happy to see their families”
However, some members’ body language told a different story. Flanked by guards on the Gold Coast, AFP and NSW police officers at Sydney Airport and Iranian delegates in Malaysia, the women were tense, agitated and under surveillance.
One woman was missing and another sat in a chair, refusing to leave Sydney.
There was a delay while the team went through border patrol due to the possibility that other players may have chosen to stay. As two of the old women passed through the doors, an officer carried a stack of passports into the next room, and the players remained behind for a long time.
Upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur, the group of about 30 people, accompanied by officials, passed through customs, collected their luggage and boarded an elevator from the terminal. They would then fly to Türkiye before heading to their homeland.
Those who chose to return—if they really had much of a choice—made a brave decision. In the face of potential detention and abuse that could affect their families and friends, the return of women labeled “war traitors” by local media will not be easy.
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Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
