Iran coach Ja’fari aiming to elevate women’s football stature
Marzieh Ja’fari, the newly-appointed head coach of the national team, said she has set sights on elevating the stature of the Iranian women’s football in the continent.
Ja’fari took over from Maryam Azmoun last week after a dreadful run of results saw Iran fail to win a single game in 12 outings across different competitions – suffering eight defeats, while finding the back of the net only twice in the process.
The 42-year-old is the most decorated coach in the Iranian club football with a remarkable 11 top-flight titles on Bam Khatoon’s bench.
She also guided Khatoon to an impressive last-eight spot at the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League in March, before suffering a 1-0 loss to South Korea’s Incheon Red Angels, and will now be looking to build on her illustrious career in the new role.
“I have already told the federation that my priority will be to raise the status of the women’s game, rather than focusing on short-term results,” Ja’fari said in an interview with IRNA.
“Of course, it will be a long-term process, which will require a team effort to succeed,” added the Iranian.
“All of my predecessors gave their utmost effort to make an impact and that’s exactly what I intend to do in this new role.”
Iran is 68th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking, sitting 15th among fellow-AFC member states.
Asked why Iranian women’s football has failed to elevate in the continent at the same rate as the men’s game in the country, Ja’fari responded: “Women’s football is a relatively new-born sport in the country and far from a finished article, compared to other nations in the continent.”
“Let’s not forget Asian powerhouses like Japan, Australia, China, and South Korea are among the world elite. Unlike the men’s game, which is dominated by European and South American countries, Asian female football has become a genuine force on the global stage,” Ja’fari added.
No. 5 in the World Rankings, Japan won the Women’s World Cup in 2011 and was then runner-up to the United States four years later, while Australia made it to the last four in the latest edition in 2023 on home soil.
A first major test for Ja’fari and her team will come in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers – starting June 23 in Amman, Jordan – where Iran is drawn in Group A, alongside the host, Lebanon, Singapore, and Bhutan.
Team Melli will begin its qualification campaign against Singapore on June 26, before taking on Bhutan, Lebanon, and Jordan, respectively, until July 5.
On her biggest challenge until the event gets underway in less than eight weeks, Ja’fari said: “The players have been out of action since the Iranian league season finished in early March, so my coaching staff and I will have to make sure they will reach the proper fitness levels for the tournament in Jordan.
“The Jordan has played numerous friendlies and will arrive in peak condition, not to mention, they will be backed by home advantage. Lebanon and other opponents have also begun preparation through friendly matches, while the Jordanian climate in that time of the year could be quite challenging for our team.”
Only one team from the group will progress to the 2026 finals in Australia.