Two Iranian women's footballers who refused to sing their national anthem at the Women's Asian Cup in March have been granted Australian citizenship, five months after seeking asylum in Australia.

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were sworn in as Australian citizens at a ceremony in Brisbane on Wednesday, overseen by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke (ABC News). The pair said they were "proud" to receive citizenship after being branded traitors at home for their protest (The Guardian).

Their story began in March, during the women's Asian Cup — the continent's flagship tournament for national teams. Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh were among a group of seven from Iran's delegation who asked for Australia's protection after refusing to sing the national anthem before matches. The protest was an embarrassment for Iran's leaders and drew praise from US President Donald Trump (The Guardian).

Five of the seven delegation members who sought protection later changed their minds and returned to Iran. Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh stayed. In the days after their decision, Burke told a press conference in Brisbane that the Iranian women's team was welcome in Australia and should feel at home there (Home Affairs Minister). He later acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, noting at a Canberra press conference that Australia cannot always get even its own citizens out of Iran (Home Affairs Minister).

A week after seeking asylum, the two footballers were pictured training with Brisbane Roar, the Australian A-League club. The club publicly congratulated them on Wednesday (The Guardian).

For Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh, citizenship closes a chapter that began with a silent act of defiance on a football pitch and ended with new passports, a new country, and a club willing to give them a home in the game they refused to give up.