Updated March 17, 2026 — 11:45am,first published 11:44am
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The two remaining Iranian women’s soccer players in Australia have begun training with the Brisbane Roar, suggesting they are committed to starting a new life while their fellow former teammates return to Iran.
The A-League Women’s Team announced the two players – Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh – had been introduced to the squad on Monday and posted photos of them training on Instagram.
Iranian women’s football player Fatemeh Pasandideh in action training with the Brisbane Roar women’s squad.
“Today, Brisbane Roar officially welcomed both players to the club’s training facilities to take part in training with our A-League Women squad and we remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages,” Brisbane Roar chief executive Kaz Patafta said.
Ramezanisadeh, 33, responded on Instagram saying: “Thank you for everything.”
Five of the seven Iranian women who sought asylum in Australia last week later changed their mind and decided to return to Iran via Malaysia.
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The saga has taken on geopolitical ramifications, with the regime in Tehran celebrating the five players’ decision to return home and abandon their asylum bids as a propaganda victory.
Pasandideh, 21, on Monday afternoon posted a smiling photograph on Instagram at the Brisbane waterfront with a peace sign emoji and the caption “everything will be fine”. She was photographed alongside Jill Ellis, FIFA’s head of football.
Other members of the Iranian team departed Malaysia on a flight bound for Oman on Monday night.
Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said he was not aware of the team’s travel plans after Oman.
“We have spoken to the team officials. We have spoken to the coaches, the head of delegation,” he said.
“They are actually in high spirits. They are not demotivated or they didn’t look afraid.”
Kylie Moore Gilbert, who was detained for 804 days in Iran on false espionage charges, questioned why Iranian embassy officials in Australia had reportedly been able to contact the players in Australia, presumably to pressure them to return to Iran.
“Didn’t Australia essentially kick out all officials within the Iranian embassy in Canberra, including the ambassador, last year with the exception of [two] or [three] junior staff responsible for visa processing?” she asked in a post on X.
“If these ‘junior visa processing officials’ are undertaking coercion on behalf of the Islamic Republic here in Australian soil, shouldn’t we kick them out too?”
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Three more members of the delegation changed their minds and decided to return to Iran on Saturday night, followed on Sunday by captain Ghanbari, who is joining her fellow players in Malaysia.
Shiva Amini, a former Iranian soccer player, claimed in a post on X that “the Iranian Football Federation, working with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard IRGC, has placed intense and systematic pressure on the players’ families in Iran”.
“They have even targeted the family of Zahra Ghanbari,” Amini said.
“Despite the fact that she has just lost her father, authorities are putting pressure on her mother. This shows the level of cruelty and desperation they are willing to use to force these athletes to comply.”
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Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners