In response to Iran’s ban on women’s attendance at soccer matches, a group of Iranian women have petitioned the Iranian Football Federation and were allowed to attend their national team’s Group B Asian Zone 2006 World Cup Qualifier against North Korea.

Niloofar Ardalan, the best female player in Iran, was a part of that group. She once scored 23 goals in an international women’s tournament. This was the first men’s match that Ardalan has ever been allowed to attend.

“Many young women are in love with football but they are frustrated that they cannot come to watch,” she said.

Elaheh Moladoast, a referee in the women’s league, feels similarly. “We are defending our rights as women to come and watch rather than sitting at home and watching on television. There should be no limitations.”

Apparently, Iran’s ban on women’s attendance at football matches has been a hot topic in the recent presidential elections. The frontrunner, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has expressed his desire to remove the ban.

Let’s hope that match will drop kick some rights into the stadium.