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AFP - The Iranian Football
Federation on Friday said that it will complain to football world governing
body FIFA over Egypt's decision to cancel a friendly match because of a
controversial film.
"If the game gets cancelled then we will lodge a complaint to FIFA," the
head of Iran's Football Federation, Ali Kafashian was quoted as saying by
the state run television news website.
"This is a political issue and we will mention to FIFA that the Egyptians
are mixing political issues with sports."
Iranian coach Ali Daei told the ISNA news agency: "Whether we like it or not
sport has become intertwined with politics and sport is being used as an
instrument in the hands of politicians."
The Egyptian Football Association said on Friday that the match, scheduled
for August 20 in the United Arab Emirates, had been cancelled due to
tensions over an Iranian film on the assassination of former Egyptian
president Anwar Sadat.
The film, entitled "Assassination of a Pharaoh", says Sadat was killed for
signing the 1978 Camp David Accords that led to a 1979 peace treaty with
Israel, the first by an Arab country.
"We have decided to cancel the match because of tensions in relations"
between Cairo and Tehran following the airing of the documentary on the 1981
assassination, federation president Samir Zaher said.
"We have been in contact with the (Egyptian) foreign ministry during the
last 10 days regarding the situation and we finally decided to cancel the
match so it did not provoke in one way or another, further tensions," he
said.
Diplomatic ties between Egypt and Iran were severed in 1980, a year after
the Islamic revolution, in protest at Egypt's recognition of Israel, its
hosting of the deposed shah and its support for Iraq during its 1980-1988
war with Iran.
Relations have recently warmed, with both countries signalling a willingness
to restore ties.
This is the second blow to Iran's national squad after English outfit
Charlton Athletic also cancelled a planned match against them in Spain.
Iran's national side has been looking for top-quality opposition for
friendlies to prepare for the final stage of Asian qualification for the
2010 World Cup.
Iran was drawn into Group B in the final round of World Cup qualifiers along
side Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and UAE. Iran will begin its
campaign against Saudi Arabia away on September 6.
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