Iran's national football team lost its first match since the start of the war in the Middle East, losing 1:2 in a friendly match with Nigeria, played on neutral ground in Turkey, and before the start the players wore school bags in protest.
The match was played behind closed doors because Iran feared protests from Iranians living in Turkey, the DPA agency reported.
The school bags were a reference to a girls' school that was hit on the first day of US and Israeli air strikes against Iran, on February 28. At least 168 girls aged between 7 and 12 are said to have died, along with 26 teachers and four parents. Reports say the cause was a US strike.
“Right now, the result, winning or losing, is not important. The only important thing is for the players to show on the pitch that they are true Iranians and love their homeland,“ federation official Mirshad Madshedi told state broadcaster IRIB.
The match was supposed to serve as a warm-up for the upcoming World Cup, but it remains unclear whether Iran, which has qualified for the tournament, will participate, as the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada.