Australia women's national team head coach Joe Montemurro has urged that attention remain on football ahead of Thursday's Asian Cup group stage match against Iran, as the tournament navigates the backdrop of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking after Australia's 1-0 opening win over the Philippines in Perth on Sunday, Montemurro was asked about the role of football in such times. He described the sport as 'an amazing family' and the Asian Cup as a platform to showcase athletes and people, adding: 'We’re supporting the [Iran] team and supporting whatever comes, but we want to make sure that the focus is on football.'
Earlier, an Asian Football Confederation official had shut down a question to Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari about recent events, requesting that journalists focus on the game itself. Iran, playing their second Women's Asian Cup after debuting in 2022, qualified for this edition by upsetting Jordan 2-1 in Amman last year.
Australia are expected to defeat Iran despite a goalkeeper injury crisis that saw fourth-choice Chloe Lincoln start against the Philippines. A record Asian Cup crowd of 44,379 watched the Matildas' narrow victory, with captain Sam Kerr scoring her first goal for Australia in 851 days after recovering from a knee injury. 'I just wanted to get that first goal out of the way,' Kerr said, adding that her trademark backflip celebration 'is still on the cards'.
