Football fever plays out in Teheran's cinemas

Teheran

WITH Iran banning open-air screenings of its World Cup opening match against Morocco at the eleventh hour last Friday, Teheran's cinemas turned into the venues for fans to vent their passion.

Supporters thronged the steps of the Azadi cinema in central Teheran ahead of the match, chanting and deafening passers-by with blasts of vuvuzela.

Iran won 1-0 in Saint Petersburg thanks to a stunning 95th minute own goal by Morocco's Aziz Bouhaddouz, a result that sent the Central Asian team top of Group B.

Kids lined up to get their faces painted in the colours of the Iranian flag before following their parents into the multiplex to watch the match.

With no bars, and mixed signals from police about whether cafes would be allowed to screen the games, cinemas were among the only places for fans to gather.

Inside the theatres, there was a notably even split between men and women.

Football is particularly popular among Iranian women, in part because they are banned from attending "live" matches in the country, lending it an illicit air.

Just hours before the match against Morocco started, officials had cancelled plans to show the match in Teheran's biggest stadium, also called Azadi (meaning "freedom").

That would have marked the first time in the Islamic Republic's history that men and women were allowed to attend a sporting event together there.

Plans to erect big screens in the city's parks were also shelved at the last minute, with no explanation given.

But the fans in the cinema were not going to let anything spoil the mood.

"I'm not a football fan but this is my country and we are so excited to watch the football and we are ready to win," said Rahelleh, 32, with her young daughter in her arms and an Iran hat on her head.

"We hoped to go to the stadium but we are very happy to come here with my family. I'm not that optimistic (that we can win) but I'm just happy to be in the World Cup - that's enough," she added.

One of the few other places to be showing the game was the nearby Football Cafe, where a trendy crowd ordered fruit juices from the bar.

"This is Iran, so there are not many places for young people and women to go," said Simin, 30, who was at a table full of female fans.

"There are no clubs so we come to these cafes. I'm not sure if we will win, but we will definitely have a good time."

Iran has had a tough build-up to the competition, with Portuguese coach Carlos Quieroz complaining about limited resources and poor facilities for the squad, nicknamed "Team Melli".

The players were also the latest victim of US sanctions, with Nike refusing to provide the team with football boots, saying it would breach the US trade embargo on Iran. But that has only helped to rally support and team morale for an against-the-odds battle in one of the World Cup's toughest groups, which also includes Spain (the World Cup champions in 2010) and Portugal (the European champions in 2016).

In a profile for GQ magazine that was published last week, Quieroz said: "Iran loves football, and people know we have problems and now look at Iran differently, more respectfully because they know the challenges we have." AFP

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