The goalkeeper of Iran women’s national team has hit back after being accused of being a man by the Jordanian Football Association.

Zohreh Koudaei, 32, played a crucial role in helping Iran reach their first-ever Women’s Asia Cup after she saved two penalties in a shootout victory over Jordan back in September. Here she is in action:

Iranian women’s football team won against its Jordan opponent and reached the final of the Asian Cup qualifiers. Iranian goalkeeper, Ms. Zohreh khodaei, really shined in this game.🌸🏵️🙏🙏🙏🙏💖❤️#Iran pic.twitter.com/Bf9xcbn8Gm

— 🇮🇷Mahdi12m313 (@mahdi12m313) November 17, 2021

Whoa! Aaron Ramsdale eat your heart out!

Unfortunately, after Iran’s win, the president of the Jordanian FA, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, sent a letter from the governing body to the Asian Football Confederation which requested a ‘gender verification check’ on Koudaei. The cheek of it!

The letter alleged that Iran’s women’s team ‘has a history with gender and doping issues’, which if true, maybe it’s fair enough that they’d want to make sure this time.

Koudaei isn’t happy about the accusations however, and has threatened to sue the Jordanian FA over their allegations:

I am a woman. This is bullying from Jordan. I will sue the Jordan FA.

Iran women’s head coach, Maryam Irandoost, has also dismissed the accusations against Koudaei and believes Jordan were making excuses after their defeat.

The widespread talk about the goalkeeper’s gender is just an excuse not to accept defeat against Iranian women. After the Jordan’s defeat, it was natural for them to try to calm themselves under false pretexts.

I want to confirm that before the start of our qualifying journey, we conducted the necessary tests, as the medical staff carefully examined each player in the national team so that we would not face any problem in this regard.

Well that’s that cleared up then. Pretty harsh on Zohreh Koudaei though. Must be tough being a woman and waking up to the news that the internet is debating whether you are a man, based on an official footballing body requesting a ‘gender vefication check’ (amazing that that’s a thing). I mean if we’re being honest she does have a bit of a Buzz Lightyear look to her, but I never would have assumed she was a man. Guess you can never be too sure these days though. Onwards and upwards.

To watch the goalkeeper for Haiti score the worst own goal in the history of football, click HERE. He’s never gonna live that one down.