Iranian women soccer players granted asylum in Australia are pictured training in Brisbane

Australia, Mar 17 (Kyodo/APP): Two players from the Iranian women’s soccer team have joined a practice session with a professional club in Brisbane in their first publicly-shared appearance since it emerged they had been granted asylum in Australia.

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were pictured smiling and wearing the club’s colors as they posed alongside a women’s elite squad in photos posted to Instagram by the Brisbane Roar on Monday.

The update came as the rest of Iran’s soccer delegation left Malaysia bound for Oman, apparently capping a tumultuous episode that saw Australia’s government offering most of the squad humanitarian visas after the team was knocked out of the Women’s Asian Cup. Seven women initially accepted the asylum offer before five changed their minds and said they would return to Iran.

Brisbane Roar, which plays in Australia’s elite A-League Women’s domestic competition, posted a welcome to “Fatemeh and Atefeh” on Instagram, along with an emoji of a lioness, a nod to the name the Iranian players are known by.

“We remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages,” Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta wrote.

Both women left comments on the post. “Thank you for everything,” Ramezanisadeh wrote.

The club declined further comment and referred all questions to Australia’s Department of Home Affairs. The Roar last week offered the women “a place to train, play and belong” in a statement on social media.

They have been moved to an undisclosed safe location and are receiving assistance from the government, officials have said. They have not given interviews but Pasandideh posted to Instagram Monday a photo of herself and FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis, overlaid with the words, “Everything will be fine.”