Srinagar, Nov. 24 -- The Iranian government is mulling action against its football team for not singing the national anthem during a World Cup opening game against England.

All of the 11 players stood silent during the playing of the nationalanthemat Khalifa International Stadium in Ar-Rayyan.

Some Iranian fans at the match held banners with the slogan "Women, Life, and Freedom", one of the main slogans of the ongoing popular uprising in Iran.

Tehran city council's chairman Mehdi Chamran indicated that the team could face repercussions for not singing the anthem.

"We will never allow anyone to insult our anthem and flag. Iranian civilization has a history of several thousand years, this civilization is as old as the total of European ...