Meet Hajar Dabbaghi: Iran's start striker playing for Gokulam Kerala FC Women

The 2006 Iranian film 'Offside', directed by Jafar Panahi, tells the story of a group of girls trying to watch Iran's World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in a stadium. The film is only 87 minutes long, yet it reveals women's inequality in Iran's political and social backdrop. 

Panahi conveyed a clear picture of the social reality in Iran, where women are restricted from watching the men's team play football. 

Even so, Women's football has taken root in Iran, and a female football player named Hajar Dabbaghi, who has scored goals in Iran's first division league, Kausar Football League, has come to Kozhikode to kick ball for Gokulam Kerala women's football team.

The 24-year-old is a lightning star in the forward line of the Iran national team. After much scouting and searching, Gokulam signed Dabbaghi with the help of an agent. Gokulam Coach Anthony Andrews, who watched the matches of the Iran national team, was behind bringing the Iranian star to Kozhikode. This 24-year-old, who can also play as a second striker and attacking midfielder, joined Gokulam ahead of the much-anticipated AFC Women's Club Championship in November.

Dabbaghi, hailing from Khomeyni Shahr in Isfahan Province, became a footballer after getting attracted by the kids playing at Sepahan Isfahan, an Iranian football team. She spotted the children practising daily at the club near the house and joined the club when she was 14 years old.

Despite being aware of the unfair treatment faced by women in Iran, her father, Ali Rezayo, and mother, Isatho, wholeheartedly supported their daughter's desire. Dabbaghi had never even heard of director Jaffer Panahi or his film Offside.

She received her maiden call to the national side in 2014 for her excellent performances at the club level and soon became part of Iran's U-16 women’s team. After two years, she was named to the national team. Fast forward to 2023,  Gokulam came looking for her, and it became the first time she laced up her boots for a club outside Iran. Dabbaghi said she is happy to play in India and will perform well for Gokulam.

To play football in Iran, female football players must cover their heads and hands below the elbows. Dabbaghi stated that as a Muslim, she did not believe such constraints to be an issue.

Following significant pressure from FIFA and other human rights organisations, the Iranian government permitted female fans into stadiums for men's football matches in 2019. A thousand women flocked to the stadium to watch Iran's World Cup qualification match against Cambodia. For the first time in 40 years, women were permitted to attend a domestic football match in August 2022. Only women, however, are permitted to attend matches of the women's football team. Dabbaghi stated that she was pleased with the decision to admit women to stadiums.