NEWS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

A former Syrian international football captain has reportedly been tortured to death whilst in custody, according to news. Jihad Qassab, 41, was a team leader in the 1990s and is a Sunni Muslim from Baba Amr. When protests against the Assad regime started he was taken into custody during the Civil War in 2014 as he was regarded as an anti-regime activist. He has not been seen or heard of since and news is that he had been tortured. Reports from the Homs Media Centre, an activist network, posted a page of mourning in the General Authority for Sport and Youth. His body has not been released but friends have assumed the worst.

Jihad led his club Al-Karamah SC to runners up in the Asian Champions League in 2006 a time when the club was dominating Syrian football.

More news from the Middle East is that Iranian clerics have asked football authorities to forfeit the country's upcoming World Cup qualifying tie against South Korea for fear that any success would cause the crowd to openly celebrate and offend Allah.

The game against South Korea in Tehran falls within Shia Muslims most emotionally charged religious festival and even the visiting spectators have been asked not to cheer or make any undue noise in the stadium. The two teams are level on points in their group trying to qualify for the 2018 Finals in Russia.

The two day Festival of Tasoo'a Ashura is when Shia Muslims pour on to the streets to express their grief, often through self-flagellation, over the death of prophet Muhammad's grandson Iman Hussein, on October 10th in 680AD. This lies at the heart of the sectarianism between Sunnis and Shias.

Syria, Iraq and the Yemen also respect this date. A change of date for the fixture was requested by the Iran authorities but this did not give South Korea enough time to recover from their game tonight against Qatar. Another complication is that the South Koreans wear red as do many of their fans. Red was the colour worn by the warrior who beheaded Iman Hussein-not good.

On top of this Iran football is football mad but leaders do not like massive celebraions in the streets, women going to matches or men wearing shorts. Panini Stickers, likely to be marketed, are also regarded as "iconography" and this goes against the religion.

Iran first played "internationally" in 1926. The development of the national football really started in August 1941 when a team played against "British India" and a few days later against Afghanistan.

What do you remember about Iran when the country has qualified for a World Cup? Scotland come to mind?