Jordan has called on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to launch an investigation to determine the sex of a goalkeeper on the Iranian women’s football team, identified as Zohreh Koudaei, reports Marca.
The incident transpired after a qualifying game for the 2022 Women’s Asia Cup between Jordan and Iran in which Iran won 4-2. Koudaei, the Iran shot-stopper, saved two penalties as the win ensured Iran’s qualification for the Asia Cup.
This led the Jordanian Football Association president Prince Ali bin Hussein to claim that Koudaei is a male posing as a female. He also followed up the claim with a tweet that he sent to the Asian Football Confederation, calling the situation “very serious if true,” whilst demanding the association to “wake up.”
According to a report by the Times of Israel, Iran team’s selector, Maryam Irandoost, dismissed the allegation.
“The medical staff have carefully examined each player on the national team in terms of hormones to avoid any problems in this regard, and so I tell all fans not to worry,” Irandoost told sports news site Varzesh3 on Sunday.
“We will provide any documentation that the Asian Confederation of Football wishes without wasting time.”