Drama as Iran players refuse to sing national anthem at World Cup
Iran players refused to sing their national anthem before the start of their World Cup match against England at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.
The drama ensued during the traditional anthem rendition before matches.
Iran has been enmeshed in political unrest for over two months amid protests over the death of a citizen in the custody of the country’s morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly.
This has led to protests that have resulted in several deaths, culminating in the surprise protest from the players.
As seen in a video posted on Twitter, all the players failed to utter a word of the Islamic nation’s anthem.
In solidarity with the players, the fans were also heard booing their anthem as the players kept their silence.
This is not the first time Iran’s national team would fail to sing the country’s anthem before a game.
They carried out a similar act during an international friendly against Senegal in September where they wore black jackets over their jerseys and bowed their heads while the anthem was being played.