BRISBANE, Australia (AP) 鈥� Two players from the Iranian women鈥檚 soccer team have joined a practice session with a professional club in Brisbane in their first publicly-shared appearance since it emerged they had been .
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were pictured smiling and wearing the club鈥檚 colors as they posed alongside a women鈥檚 elite squad in photos posted to Instagram by the Brisbane Roar on Monday.
The update came as the rest of Iran鈥檚 soccer delegation left Malaysia bound for Oman, apparently capping that saw Australia鈥檚 government offering most of the squad humanitarian visas after the team was knocked out of the . Seven women initially accepted the asylum offer before five changed their minds and said they would return to Iran.
Brisbane Roar, which plays in Australia鈥檚 elite A-League Women鈥檚 domestic competition, posted a welcome to 鈥淔atemeh and Atefeh鈥� on Instagram, along with an emoji of a lioness, a nod to the name the Iranian players are known by.
鈥淲e remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages,鈥� Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta wrote.
Both women left comments on the post. 鈥淭hank you for everything,鈥� Ramezanisadeh wrote.
The club declined further comment and referred all questions to Australia鈥檚 Department of Home Affairs. The Roar last week offered the women 鈥渁 place to train, play and belong鈥� in a statement on social media.
They have been moved to an undisclosed safe location and are receiving assistance from the government, officials have said. They have not given interviews but Pasandideh posted to Instagram Monday a photo of herself and FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis, overlaid with the words, 鈥淓verything will be fine.鈥�
Teammates head home
Iran鈥檚 squad had arrived in Australia for the women鈥檚 continental championship shortly before the began on Feb. 28. They drew global attention after some players stayed silent during Iran鈥檚 national anthem before their first game.
The was cast as an act of resistance or protest by some commentators and a show of mourning by others. The players didn鈥檛 publicly disclose their views or explain their actions and sang the anthem before their next two matches.
When the team was knocked out of the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for Australia鈥檚 government to offer the women asylum. Iranian groups in Australia and United States President Donald Trump were among those who expressed fears for the women鈥檚 safety, with some citing remarks by Mohammad Reza Shahbazi, a hardline sports commentator in Iran, who on television referred to the women as 鈥渨artime traitors鈥� because they didn鈥檛 sing the anthem.
An Iranian official last week dismissed suggestions that the women would be unsafe if they returned home.
鈥淚ran welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security,鈥� Iranian first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said. 鈥淣o one has the right to interfere in the family affairs of the Iranian nation and play the role of a nanny who is kinder than a mother.鈥�
It follows a chaotic asylum saga
Australian officials publicly divulged details of their asylum offers to the women before the Iranian delegation left Australia, which included private airport meetings with each woman without team minders present. A total of six players and one team staffer at first accepted humanitarian visas and guarantees of permanent residence in Australia, while their teammates departed Sydney for Kuala Lumpur on March 10.
Over the next few days, however, five of those who accepted asylum offers and flew to join their teammates in Malaysia. No reasons have been given publicly for the reversals, though Australian news outlets reported that local Iranian groups as suggesting the women had faced pressure from Tehran.
The remaining squad on Monday night. The Asian Football Confederation鈥檚 General Secretary Windsor John the team鈥檚 departure was arranged by the Iranian embassy.
Asked if the Confederation was satisfied that the women would be safe in Iran, Windsor said his organization and FIFA would check on them regularly through the Iranian football federation 鈥渁s they are our girls as well.鈥�
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Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.
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