Jafar Kashani

Jafar Kashani’s talent was noticed by the head scout of Shahin Tehran at the age of only 16, and he was recruited to that club’s youth division in 1960. He made his senior début with the club four years later and had 43 appearances with them through 1967. He then joined Persepolis F.C., where he would spend the rest of his playing career, until his 1975 retirement, making 176 appearances.

Internationally, he joined the national team in 1968 and was with them when they competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Iran was eliminated in a group stage that included the upcoming silver medalists from Hungary. He had much better luck at the Asian Games two years later, taking home a gold medal from the football tournament. Following the end of his competitive days, he had an extensive career with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but also served on the board of his former club, Persepolis.