Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has sidestepped the issue of Saudi Arabia’s potential sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup but hinted his side’s values do not align with those espoused by the Middle Eastern kingdom.
Visit Saudi – the tourism arm of a country with a human-rights record described by Amnesty International as “appalling” – has been heavily linked with becoming the headline sponsor of this year’s tournament.
The Saudis won hosting rights to the men’s 2027 Asian Cup on Wednesday and were given a spot on FIFA’s council.
Football Australia (FA) and co-hosts New Zealand Football have written to FIFA to express their concern about the potential sponsorship deal for the World Cup, which kicks off on July 20.
FA asked media at Thursday’s unveiling of the Matildas squad for the upcoming Cup of Nations tournament to refrain from questioning players about the Saudi sponsorship.
Gustavsson tiptoed around the issue but seemed to suggest his team’s principles did not match up with those of Saudi Arabia.
“It’s too early to comment right, but I know what these women stand for and what the team stands for,” he said.
“That’s from way before my time, I’ve had the privilege to meet the Matildas alumni and everyone knows the core values of this team.
“The federation is seeking more information and the team knows what they stand for.”
Sam Kerr of the Matildas celebrates with teammates (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
It is a crime to be homosexual in Saudi Arabia and there are a number of LGBTQI players in Gustavsson’s squad.
The issue is difficult for FA to navigate ahead of hosting their first senior FIFA tournament.
Australia’s men released a joint statement prior to the Qatar World Cup protesting the suffering of migrant workers and LGBTQI people in the Gulf state, only for former Socceroos midfielder Tim Cahill – an ambassador for the controversial tournament – to then join their camp.
The FA said earlier in the week they had not been consulted on the issue.
“Football Australia understands FIFA has entered into a destination partnership agreement in respect to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023,” the governing body said in a statement.
“We are very disappointed that Football Australia were not consulted on this matter prior to any decision being made. Football Australia and New Zealand Football have jointly written to FIFA to urgently clarify the situation.”
Former Socceroo and leading human rights activist Craig Foster called the association with the WWC “disgraceful”.
“Acceptance of Saudi sponsorship without acknowledgement of the accompanying human rights abuses is typical of FIFA and global sport right now and disgraceful in the extreme,” Foster said.
“The Australian Human Rights Commission formulated a report as mandated under FIFA’s human rights policy which identified salient risks, including to journalists, for example. This has not precluded a Saudi sponsorship despite state-sponsored assassination and dismemberment of a dissident journalist, Jamal Khashoggi.
“It’s particularly galling that a nation that is listed on the global gender equality index at 127 out of 153 countries, has a legal system that entrenches gender discrimination against women and that issued a 34-year prison sentence to Salma Al-Shehab simply for tweets and retweets on human rights and political issues in Saudi Arabia now sponsors a women’s sport tournament in a country proud of its push for equality across all sport.”
The Saudi story threatens to bubble along throughout this month’s Cup of Nations where Gustavsson’s side open their campaign against Czechia – formerly the Czech Republic – in Gosford on February 16.
Games with Spain and Jamaica follow in quick succession with the Swede viewing the tournament as a “dress rehearsal” for the World Cup later this year.
“This is now tournament mode,” he said. “We have to put that pressure on ourselves.”
Gustavsson has named a largely unchanged squad, with Western Sydney defender Clare Hunt the only uncapped player called in.
Chloe Logarzo, Ellie Carpenter and Kyah Simon remain out with injury.
Defender Clare Polkinghorne is included and looks set to break the Matildas’ all-time cap record in what would be her 152nd appearance.
MATILDAS SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Mackenzie Arnold, Teagan Micah, Lydia Williams
Defenders: Steph Catley, Charlotte Grant, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Aivi Luik, Courtney Nevin, Clare Polkinghorne
Midfielders: Alex Chidiac, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Katrina Gorry, Elise Kellond-Knight, Amy Sayer, Emily van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop
Forwards: Larissa Crummer, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Emily Gielnik, Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso, Cortnee Vine.
© AAP
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