Mani Djazmi

Japan are the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Bahrain 2-0 in saitama to secure their eighth World Cup appearance in a row.

Mostly misdiagnosed by him. He’s got knee pain in one of two knees. How can you get that wrong?! 😂

Whilst ordinary Iranians during the war go to great lengths to connect to the internet, officials and some government supporters do have access. I’ve managed to ask some ordinary people inside what they make of the possibility of talks to end the war. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Reports from Isfahan indicate more Israeli/US bombings near some of Iran’s most irreplaceable cultural treasures, including the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and Naqsh-e Jahan Square, sites that have stood for centuries and belong not only to Iran, but to humanity.

I can’t keep up.

@nikimbaev @plasticpitch This explains everything!

@BBC_Mani @plasticpitch

Argentina’s friendly against Guatemala, which replaced La Finalissima, has been cancelled. The reason is that Guatemala are also playing Algeria in Italy and FIFA doesn’t allow national teams to play on different continents during the same window.

@plasticpitch This is true. I have asked for clarification

@BBC_Mani Window or day? Saudi Arabia are playing in Asia and Europe this window for example.

From a post today by a leading Iranian sociologist Mohammad Fazeli, one of a group that signed an anti-war letter calling for maximum diplomacy and opposed the protest crackdown. Worth reading how opponents of war in Iran nevertheless view UK - not necessarily to agree, but to understand. “Every corner of London—especially in the central and old areas—bears statues of commanders, officers, and British soldiers who invaded other countries for centuries, killed, colonized, and protected Britain’s illegitimate interests in the target countries.   During one of my walks in that last week in central London, I came across a very large statue of soldiers and a memorial of the Royal Artillery. Under this large statue, something like this phrase was written: ‘In memory of the soldiers and martyrs of the Royal Artillery in Mesopotamia... Iran and...’ I don’t remember the rest exactly, but this part has stayed with me for nineteen years.   The British soldiers were invaders sent to advance Britain’s interests in other countries. Yet the Royal Artillery memorial called them martyrs—martyrs who fought thousands of kilometers away from England, in West Asia, in Mesopotamia, in Iran.   Colonialism calls its invading soldiers martyrs, builds memorials for them, and adorns its city with them. Colonialism normalizes sending British soldiers to West Asia and Iran. A hundred years after British colonialism, sending American soldiers, ships, and weapons to destroy Iran is portrayed as normal, humanitarian, and in the interest of international peace.   But it is not only that colonialism normalizes its presence thousands of kilometers away from its country; it also portrays the defense by the target countries as abnormal. The colonial discourse condemns defending the homeland—not directly, but through a thousand other tools. An Iranian soldier defending his country is called a terrorist, but the one who comes from thousands of kilometers away to invade, kill, destroy, and bring annihilation is portrayed as a messenger of freedom.”

Danso has been a dependable 7-10 all season. Never let’s anyone down.

A piece about the Palestinian official in the Women’s Asian Cup final manidjazmi.substack.com/p/palestines-a…

They’ll now play Mauritania at La Bonbonera next Friday. Mauritania are only available because Palestine called off their friendly because some of their players couldn’t leave the Middle East.

It’s really strange celebrating Nowruz with the news on in the background & videos of bombings from across the country, and no phone/video calls with family in Iran. More than ever, wishing you all & your families good health. May Iran be free of oppression; internal or external.

Morocco have postponed WAFCON, and it’s not even clear if they’ll still host it later in the year, now they’ve been awarded AFCON in a committee room. Who’s the dog and who’s the tail in African football?

The Finalissima may be nothing more than a friendly but its cancellation means that in all likelihood, Argentina will go into the World Cup without playing a single European team since the last World Cup, which has never happened before.

Quite the sting in the fairytale. The Champions League isn’t designed for romance.

Will Iran play in the World Cup after the Sports Minister speaks out? manidjazmi.substack.com/p/will-iran-pl… Ima

Obviously this is from a member of the opposition but it is breathtaking. People are dying!

In 35+ years, I’ve seen three Tottenham relegation battles, managers have come and gone, and Tottenham have been more hapless than Hotspur more times than i can remember. But all things considered, this was their worst match in that time.

Most of Iran’s men’s team already live abroad. Why would they seek asylum in the US?

Iraq’s World Cup qualifier in the balance. manidjazmi.substack.com/p/arnies-plan-…