What benefit does Abbas Abdi see in politicizing a football victory for the government?
Abbas Abdi believed that taking the players to meet the President was a mistake from the start.
Of course, under normal circumstances, such a meeting wouldn’t have been an issue and might have happened in previous instances as well. However, political planners should have considered that this meeting, amidst the country’s protests, could be perceived as political exploitation, turning the football event from a national occurrence into a political one during a time of unrest.
The official policy had no gain in this matter because even if you won and politically defeated some internally, it would also be your own defeat. These are the children of this country. What benefit could the government and official policy see in politicizing a football victory unless it leads to national unity and cohesion?
The official behavior regarding this match brought to mind the image of decision-makers being desperate and looking to cling to a victory, even if temporary, in sports.