Iran players feeling ‘emotional strain’ as welfare concerns grow ahead of Women’s Asian Cup

Preparations for the nation’s second appearance at the tournament have been impacted by the troubling events at homeThis week, Iran’s women’s football team is expected to touch down in Australia to compete in their second Women’s Asian Cup. But exactly who will arrive, or what condition they will be in when they get here, is anyone’s guess.Amid a backdrop of anti-government protests and subsequent violent crackdowns by the authorities over the past few months, Iran’s top women footballers have been struggling to prepare for one of the biggest tournaments of their lives.