International Female Footballer Accused Of Being A Man After Opposing Side Loses

Jordan has sparked outrage in the football community after the country accused an international female player of actually being a man.

The country has called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to conduct an official investigation into Iran's goalkeeper, Zohreh Koudaei, to determine her sex, as per the India Times.

The serious accusations have come after Iran beat Jordan in a penalty shootout in their 2022 Women's Asian Cup qualifier back in September.

Iran ended up winning the shootout 4-2, with Koudaei emerging as the hero thanks to two brilliant saves.

The victory earned the Iranian women's team its first 2022 Women's Asian Cup appearance in history.

However, it appears as if Jordan simply couldn't hack the defeat and the president of the Jordan Football Association, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, has submitted a 'request for gender verification' for Koudaei.

He added that the allegations are 'very serious if true' and it's not clear what 'evidence' Jordan has submitted to back up their claims.

President Al-Hussein stated in his submission that while gender verification isn't mandatory, there is a provision that allows them to request a player be checked for their sex.

The allegations have made headlines in both countries, with some people suggesting Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein is only crying for foul play because his team lost.

As for the Iranian national team, officials have been quick to leap to the defence of Zohreh Koudaei.

Team selector Maryam Irandoost told Varzesh3: "The medical staff have carefully examined each player on the national team in terms of hormones to avoid any problems in this regard, and so I tell all fans not to worry.

Credit: Twitter

"We will provide any documentation that the Asian Confederation of Football wishes without wasting time.

"These allegations are just an excuse not to accept the defeat against the Iranian women's national team.

"The Jordanian team considered themselves the big favourite to qualify... and when they lost... it was natural to seek relief under false pretences and to escape responsibility for this failure."

In his open letter, the president of the Jordan Football Association claims Iran has a 'history with gender and doping issues' too.

It's unclear whether the AFC will launch a probe into the matter with the upcoming Women's Asian Cup set to kick off in just a few months.