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Women crash Iranian World Cup party
TEHRAN (AP) -- Iran's World Cup-bound soccer team was given a hero's welcome by 70,000 flag-waving fans, including 5,000 women, who showed up despite an official request that they stay away.The official Islamic Republic News Agency said some 3,000 women occupied one corner of the Azadi Stadium and 2,000 more rushed in "with the co-operation of security forces."
In a statement carried on Iranian television, the National Football Federation asked women to stay away from the welcome "to safeguard Islam's dignity." Strict Islamic laws, followed in Iran, prohibit mingling of the sexes.
The Iranian players arrived at Tehran's Mehrabad airport from Dubai and were flown by helicopter to the Azadi Stadium.
The crowd, which had waited for hours in to see their heroes, broke into cheers and applause as the helicopter landed in the stadium.
The soccer team became national heroes after Saturday's match in Melbourne when Khodadad Azizi and Karim Bagheri scored goals within five minutes to make up a 2-0 deficit and tie Australia 2-2. Iran won the final berth in next year's on the basis of more away goals.
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