Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei has launched a fierce attack on the treatment of his squad at the World Cup in the United States, describing his players as the “most oppressed team” at the tournament.

Iran’s preparations were thrown into turmoil by the conflict between Iran and the US, which forced the national team to relocate their training base to Tijuana, Mexico. The squad have been shuttling across the border for matches, a schedule Ghalenoei says has left his players exhausted and marginalised.

After a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening Group G match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Ghalenoei said his team were ordered to leave immediately and fly back to Mexico, denying them basic recovery time.

“We’ve spent so much time commuting in the air,” he said. “They didn’t even give us time to recover after the game. It’s very important for us to have time for recovery and yet we were asked to return to Tijuana and we are really troubled by that.

“It seems like others are doing the planning for us, decisions are made elsewhere. We were supposed to arrive two nights before the game and we were not permitted. We were supposed to stay tonight and return tomorrow lunchtime but I have no idea why, and they haven’t told us.

“Our team is the most oppressed one in the whole World Cup. The federation is absent here. Our media isn’t here. Our management team, many of them aren’t here.”

Visa restrictions have reportedly prevented several senior federation officials, staff and analysts from travelling, leaving Ghalenoei with a reduced backroom team on the touchline.

Captain Mehdi Taremi called the situation a “disaster” and revealed that FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the dressing room after the match, telling players they were “writing history” and promising to help secure entry for more members of the Iranian delegation.

Outside the stadium, protesters demanding political change in Tehran gathered in large numbers. Inside, Iran’s national anthem was loudly booed, yet the team also received strong support from many Iranian-Americans who sought to separate the players from the authorities they officially represent.

Despite a backdrop of geopolitical tension, divided crowds and logistical obstacles, Iran emerged from their opener with a point and a sense that their World Cup story is about far more than football.