Iranian women footballers will be required to undergo mandatory gender-testing after it was revealed that four players in the national women’s team were in fact men.

Medical examiners will conduct random checks at training sessions and any players who fail the examination and cannot prove that they are completely female will be barred from the competition.

Iran’s football governing body announced the random checks after it was revealed that several leading players, including four in the national women’s team, were men who had not completed sex change operations or who were suffering from sexual development disorders.

While those who cannot prove they are female will be barred from competing in the women’s competition, they will be re-admitted once they have completed the sex change process.