WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Last chance as Banyana Banyana quest for Women’s World Cup Round of 16
South Africa’s Banyana Banyana have a last chance of joining Nigeria as African team crossing the group stage of the Women’s Word Cup.
A fascinating encounter awaits in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara as South Africa meet Italy in a Group G match, with the two teams and Argentina competing to join Sweden, who have already qualified for the knockout stage.
In their second match of the 2023 finals against Argentina, South Africa picked up their first-ever point in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match, having lost their previous four matches in the competition.
That point will give them a huge boost in confidence. They are aiming to reach the knockout rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time and they will need to win this game to have a chance of doing so.
Italy have qualified for the knockout rounds in two of their previous three FIFA Women’s World Cup participations and they can make it three in four with a victory here.
They will, however, have to bounce back from a 5-0 loss at the hands of Sweden last time out. A draw will see them reach the round of 16, as long as Argentina do not beat Sweden in the other match in Group H, though victory will make the other result irrelevant.
- Last meeting:
09/08/2008, Sweden 1-0 Argentina, Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008, Tianjin Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Tianjin (China)
KEY FACTS
- South Africa have lost their previous three FIFA Women’s World Cup matches against European opposition.
- South Africa scored two goals against Argentina in a FIFA Women’s World Cup match for the first time.
- South Africa have scored the first goal in three of their five FIFA Women’s World Cup matches.
- Italy’s only previous FIFA Women’s World Cup match against African opposition was a 1-0 victory against Nigeria in the group stage in 1991.
- Italy have never lost successive matches in the FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage.
SOUTH AFRICA TEAM FACTS
- Overall record: Play5, Win 0, Draw 1, Lost 4, Goals For: 4, Goals Against 12, Goal Difference: -8
- Biggest win: nil
- Biggest defeat:South Africa 0-1Germany (17/06/2019)
- Highest scoring match: 4 goals – Spain 3-1 South Africa (08/06/2019), South Africa 0-4 Germany (17/06/2019)and Argentina 2-2 South Africa (28/07/2023) Most goals scored in a match: 1 – Spain 3-1 South Africa (08/06/2019)/Sweden 2-1 South Africa (23/07/2023)/Argentina 2-2 South Africa (28/07/2023)
- Most goals conceded in a match: 4 – South Africa 0-4 Germany (17/06/2019)
- Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 –2023 (2 matches)
- Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 1 – 2019 (3 matches)
- Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 8 – 2019 (3 matches)
- Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 4 – 2023 (2 matches)
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS
- Successive wins: 0
- Successive defeats: 4 (2019-2023)
- Successive draws: 1 (2023-present)
- Successive matches without a defeat: 1 (2023-present)
- Successive matches without a win: 5 (2019-present)
- Successive matches with a goal scored: 2 (2023-present)
- Successive matches without scoring: 2 (2019)
- Successive clean sheets: 0
ITALY TEAM FACTS
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS
- Overall record: Play14, Win 7, Draw 1, Lost 6, Goals For 21, Goals Against 17, Goal Difference: 4
- Biggest win: Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991), Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019)
- Biggest defeat:Italy 0-5Sweden (29/07/2023)
- Highest scoring match: 5 goals – Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991), Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019), Norway 3-2 Italy (24/11/1991)and Italy 0-5 Sweden (29/07/2023)
- Most goals scored in a match: 5 – Italy 5-0 Chinese Taipei (17/11/1991)/Italy 5-0 Jamaica (14/06/2019)
- Most goals conceded in a match: 5 – Italy 0-5 Sweden (29/07/2023)
- Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 9 – 2019 (5 matches)
- Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 1999 (3 matches)
- Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 5 – 1991 (4 matches)and 2023-present (2 matches)
- Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 1999 (3 matches)
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS
- Successive wins: 3 (1999-2019)
- Successive defeats: 2 (1991)
- Successive draws: 1 (1999)
- Successive matches without a defeat: 3 (1999-2019)
- Successive matches without a win: 4 (1991-1999)
- Successive matches with a goal scored: 3 (1999-2019)
- Successive matches without scoring: 1 (five times, the last time was 2023-present)
- Successive clean sheets: 2 (1991)
The Iranian women’s soccer team crossed the Turkish border into Iran on Wednesday to complete a fraught return journey from Australia, after five members withdrew asylum claims they had lodged there.
Australia had granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member after they sought asylum, saying they feared possible persecution if they returned to Iran.
Concerns over their safety surfaced when several players failed to sing the national anthem at a women’s Asian Cup match earlier this month after the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran. Iranian state television had labelled them “wartime traitors”.
The team, which flew into Istanbul on Tuesday, took a flight to Igdir in eastern Turkey on Wednesday morning.
The players emerged from Igdir Airport, pulling their luggage and chatted in front of the terminal before boarding a bus to the border. One of them briefly smiled and waved at a TV camera before the bus departed. After a trip of around two hours to the frontier, they went through passport control at the Gurbulak border gate before crossing over into Iran.
A bus carrying members of the Iranian women’s national soccer team arrives at the Gurbulak Border Gate, a crossing point between Turkey and Iran, as they travel to their home country after five players withdrew the asylum claims they had lodged in Australia over safety concerns about returning due to not singing the national anthem at a women’s Asian Cup match earlier this month, in the eastern Agri province, Turkey, March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Ali Ihsan Ozturk
The team’s Asian Cup campaign began just as the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tournament more than a week ago.
Five of those who had sought asylum in Australia subsequently changed their minds and decided to return home, with Australian media reporting the latest withdrawal on Monday.
They rejoined the rest of the squad in Kuala Lumpur, where the team had been staying since leaving Sydney last week.
The Iranian Football Association (FFIRI) said last week that those who had changed their minds would travel home with the rest of the team “to once again be embraced by their families and homeland.”
Two players are still in Australia and have been pictured training with a local A-League club.
-Reuters
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The two players from the Iranian women’s soccer squad who chose to remain in Australia after seeking asylum have been pictured training with a local A-League club as they begin their new lives in the country.
Midfielder Fatemeh Pasandideh and defender Atefeh Ramezanizadeh were among seven members of Iran’s delegation granted humanitarian visas amid fears of possible persecution if they returned home after competing in the women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Concerns over their safety emerged after the players failed to sing their national anthem before their opening match on the Gold Coast in the state of Queensland. Iranian state media labelled them as “wartime traitors”, with the team’s campaign beginning as the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran.
Five members of the group, however, subsequently changed their minds about Australia’s asylum offer and decided to return home.
Queensland-based A-League club Brisbane Roar announced on social media the remaining two players, Pasandideh and Ramezanizadeh, had joined a training session with its women’s team on Monday.
“Brisbane Roar officially welcomed both Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh to the club’s training facilities…and remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages,” CEO Kaz Patafta said.
Photos posted by the club showed the two players meeting the Brisbane Roar squad and taking part in shooting drills.
“Thank you for everything,” wrote Ramezanizadeh, 33, under the post on Instagram.
Pasandideh, 21, also posted on her Instagram story on Monday a photo with FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis in Brisbane with a caption saying “everything will be fine”.
While the pair began their new lives in Australia, their former teammates made their way home to Iran from Malaysia.
The team was seen at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday evening, checking in on an Oman Air flight, although their destination was unclear.
-Reuters
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Three Iranian women soccer players to return home after seeking asylum in Australia
Three members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who had sought asylum in Australia have decided to return to Iran, Australia’s government said on Sunday.
Australia granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers last week after they sought asylum, saying they feared persecution if they returned home after they failed to sing the national anthem at a Women’s Asian Cup match.
Four of the seven members have decided to leave Australia so far. Another member changed her mind last week.
“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
“While the Australian Government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” he added.
The Iranian Football Association (FFIRI) named the players as Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar.
“After arriving in Malaysia and joining the rest of Iran’s women’s national football team, the three players will travel to Tehran in the coming days to once again be embraced by their families and homeland,” FFIRI added in a statement.
The Iranian team’s campaign in the Asian Cup started just as the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They were eliminated from the tournament last Sunday.
-Reuters
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