FIFA president Sepp Blatter is urging Iran to end a ban preventing women from watching football in stadiums. In comments published in FIFA's weekly magazine ahead of International Women's Day, Blatter said that despite his efforts to convince Iran president Hassan Rouhani to let women attend matches when he met him in 2013, ''nothing has happened.'' Iran is one of the few countries that block women from attending matches but has permitted female fans at some other sports venues in the past. In 2006, then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said women could attend matches in a special section, but the decision was overruled by higher authorities. Blatter added that the ban ''cannot continue. Hence, my appeal to the Iranian authorities; open the nation's football stadiums to women.'' (For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/124618.aspx