The group of young girls pushed against the wire-fencing that separated them from the training pitch, waving Iranian flags and squealing out their soccer heroes' names.
But with a ban solidly in place against women attending matches, they could get no closer to the team they hoped would enhance Iran's international reputation through the World Cup now underway in Germany.
"They keep on saying, `Ladies first,' to us but it's not true in practice," steamed 28-year-old Mojde. "We (Iranian women) don't have very high expectations but I have to sit here and photograph the players through this wire. Is that fair؟