Iranian women's football star and captain, Niloufar Ardalan, is set to miss out on the country's campaign in the Asian Football Federation Women's Futsal Championship in Malaysia. She was denied permission to renew her passport by her husband, as is required by the law in case of married Iranian women.

In an incident that has highlighted the discriminatory nature of the Iranian legal system against the country's women, Ardalan will be unable to travel out of the country after her spouse Mahdi Toutounchi, a sports journalist by profession, refused to sign the paperwork required for her passport renewal.

Expressing her disappointment over the incident, Ardalan, nicknamed 'Lady Goal' for her goalscoring ability, told local news portal Nasimonline, "I wish authorities would create [a law] that would allow female athletes to defend their rights in such situations. As a Muslim woman, I wanted to work for my country's flag to be raised, rather than traveling for leisure and fun."

It has been reported in the local press that Toutounchi refused to sign the papers in order to make sure his wife isn't out of the country when the couple's 7-year old son attends his first day of school on 23 September. The continental futsal tournament, a shorter version of football, takes place in Malaysia from 17-26 September.

The Iranian law requires the country's married women to gain consent from their spouses before travelling abroad, but the same is not required from the men.

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the country, Iranian women had been banned from taking part in sports by the country's government. The prohibition was lifted two decades later, but female sportspersons are still required to be fully covered while taking part in any event.