Iran women's national football team

Iran
Nickname(s)	Team Melli Baanovaan; ("The Ladies National Team")
Association	IFF
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	CAFA (Central Asia)
Head coach	Maryam Azmoon
Captain	Sara Ghomi
Home stadium	Ararat Stadium
FIFA code	IRN
First colours	Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	70 (26 June 2020)[1]
Highest	48 (September 2008)
Lowest	144 (December 2007)
First international
	Iran 5–0 Syria ; (Amman, Jordan; 23 September 2005)
Biggest win
	Iran 13–0 Syria ; (Amman, Jordan; 3 September 2007)
Biggest defeat
	Thailand 8–1 Iran ; (Bangkok, Thailand; 8 July 2009)

The Iran women's national football team represents Iran in international women's football, and is controlled by the Iran Football Federation (IFF). The IFF official in charge of women's football is Leila Soufizadeh.

History

The first Iranian women's national team was established by Taj Tehran Football Club.[2][3][4] The Iranian women's national team has a long history, with a women's Perspolis FC team dating back to 1976.[5][6] Refounded in 2005, the team reached second place at the 2005 West Asian Football Federation Women's Championship in Amman, Jordan held in September and October 2005.

In May 2006, the women's team hosted their first foreign visitors when a club from Berlin, Germany called BSV Al-Dersimspor played out a 2–2 draw in Ararat Stadium, Tehran.

The team won second place again at the 2007 and 2011 West Asian Football Federation Women's Championship.[7]

Banned from international competition

Iran were briefly banned by FIFA from international competition in 2011 for wearing hijabs.[8][9]

In 2015 there were reports that eight players on the team were males awaiting sex change operations.[10][11]

On 9 November 2018 Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of International Federation of Football Association FIFA said she would ask Iranian government to end ban on women’s entry to sport stadiums.[12]

In September 2019 it was reported that an Iranian female football star, dubbed the "blue girl", died after self-immolating in front of a court in Tehran when she found out she could face a two year sentence for attempting to enter a football stadium to watch her team play.[13]

Coaching staff

Position	Name	Ref.
Head coach	Maryam Azmoon
Assistant coach
Assistant coach
Physical coach

Players

Up-to-date caps, goals, and statistics are not publicly available; therefore, caps and goals listed may be incorrect.

Most recent squad

The following 20 players were named to the squad for the 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (second round) in April 2019.

Caps and goals as of 9 April 2019 after match against Chinese Taipei.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Zahra Khajavi	(1999-02-08) 8 February 1999	6	0	Vachan Kurdistan
12	1GK	Maryam Nami	(1995-01-25) 25 January 1995	2	0	Heyat Alborz
13	1GK	Raha Yazdani	(1987-06-22) 22 June 1987	0	0	Shahrdari Bam

2	2DF	Fatemeh Amineh Borazjani	(1997-06-03) 3 June 1997	8	0	Shardari Shirjan
3	2DF	Melika Motevalli	(1998-05-06) 6 May 1998	7	1	Shardari Shirjan
4	2DF	Fatemi Sohrabi	(1990-09-06) 6 September 1990	7	0	Mes Rafsanjan
5	2DF	Elham Farahmand	(1993-09-12) 12 September 1993	7	0	Vachan Kurdistan
7	2DF	Zahra Pourheidar	(1994-04-15) 15 April 1994	1	0	Sepahan Isfahan
8	2DF	Sara Zohrabinia	(1996-11-13) 13 November 1996	10	5	Heyat Alborz
14	2DF	Behnaz Taherkhani	(1995-05-22) 22 May 1995	6	0	Shahrdari Bam
18	2DF	Fatemeh Adeli	(1995-07-16) 16 July 1995	5	0	Sepahan Isfahan

6	3MF	Zahra Sarbali	(1993-08-13) 13 August 1993	8	0	Shahrdari Bam
11	3MF	Samaneh Chahkandi	(1989-03-28) 28 March 1989	10	3	Shahrdari Bam
16	3MF	Mona Hamoudi	(1993-11-11) 11 November 1993	5	2	Shahrdari Bam

9	4FW	Zahra Ghanbari	(1992-03-04) 4 March 1992	16	12	Shahrdari Bam
10	4FW	Sara Ghomi	(1987-08-20) 20 August 1987	16	6	Heyat Alborz
15	4FW	Leila Moallem	(1995-01-31) 31 January 1995	0	0	Sina Bushehr
17	4FW	Shaghayegh Rouzbahan	(1994-12-06) 6 December 1994	9	1	Sepahan Isfahan
19	4FW	Foroogh Mouri	(1989-09-30) 30 September 1989	6	2	Vachan Kurdistan
20	4FW	Hajar Dabbaghi	(1999-03-22) 22 March 1999	8	5	Sepahan Isfahan

Player records

Active players in bold, statistics as of 2020.

Most capped players

#	Player	Year(s)	Caps	Goals
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Top goalscorers

#	Player	Year(s)	Goals	Caps
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Managers

Maryam Azmoon 2016 – present

Recent results and schedule

Win Draw Lose

The following is a list of matches in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2020

All-time record

As of 9 April 2019

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Bahrain	3	2	0	1	9	1	+8
Bangladesh	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2
Belarus	2	0	0	2	1	3	−2
Chinese Taipei	3	1	0	2	4	7	−3
Hong Kong	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
India	3	1	0	2	5	5	0
Jordan	10	5	1	4	16	19	−3
Laos	1	1	0	0	5	1	+4
Lebanon	3	3	0	0	19	1	+18
Myanmar	3	0	0	3	1	6	−5
Nepal	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3
Palestine	3	3	0	0	20	0	+20
Philippines	2	0	0	2	0	8	−8
Singapore	1	1	0	0	6	0	+6
Syria	4	4	0	0	34	1	+33
Thailand	3	0	0	3	2	16	−14
Uzbekistan	3	0	0	3	1	8	−7
Vietnam	3	0	0	3	2	13	−11
Total	50	22	2	26	128	93	+35

Honours

Regional

CAFA Women's Championship

Runners-up: 2018

WAFF Women's Championship

Runners-up: 2005, 2007, 2011

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA Women's World Cup record
Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD
1991 to 2007	Did not enter
2011	Did not qualify
2015
2019
2023	To be determined
Total	0/8	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year	Round	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1996 to 2008	Did not enter
2012	Did not qualify
2016
2020
Total	0/7	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

AFC Women's Asian Cup

AFC Women's Asian Cup record
Year	Result	GP	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GD
1975 to 2008	Did not enter
2010	Did not qualify
2014
2018
2022	To be determined
Total	0/19	–	–	–	–	–	–	–