Five players escaped the team hotel on Australia's Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a "safe location" while lodging their claims for asylum. SYDNEY: Five players in Iran's visiting women's football team have taken asylum in Australia over fears of persecution at home for not singing the national anthem before a match, the government said on Tuesday (Mar 10). The Iranian players' silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia last week was widely seen as an act