Tag: Payam Nizmand

Zahra Khajavi, seeking a historic record.

A 21 years old girl is determined to break a record in Iran’s football.

Despite all the restrictions on women’s sports and particularly football, Iranian girls have hardly lost enthusiasm to pursue their dreams and in many cases, they have actually excelled. Following the Iranian Women’s futsal team winning the Asian title in style, and the nomination of  Katayoon Khosrowyar in the AFC coach of the year category, another girl Zahra Khajavi, is seeking fame in her own right.

This time there is a historic record-breaking attempt of a clean sheet. Zahra Khajavi is the Team Melli goalkeeper and plays for  Vochan Kordestan. She has already amassed 10 matches with a clean sheet, a grand total of 990 minutes without conceding.

Zahra started playing futsal at the age of nine.  After she transferred to football, she joined Pas Hamedan club. The young Iranian goalkeeper, who has been supported by her coach to play as a goalkeeper, is already playing football for six years in the Women’s Premier League. She has played for Pas Hamedan, Ashtrankooh Azna, Shahrdari Bam, Rah Yab Sanandaj (two years) and now Vochan Kordestan.

Zahra
Zahra Khajavi 

The promising Zahra, who already played for Iran’s under-19 and the senior team needs to keep a clean sheet for another 35 minutes in her next match, to claim Iran’s record in men and women’s football. Currently, Payam Niazmand of Team Melli and Sepahan goalkeeper holds the record for men’s goal shut out.

 However, Khajavi and her team have a tough task ahead as they will be meeting one of the top teams’ Shahrdari Bam on Friday and will make history in Iranian men’s and women’s soccer if they succeed. The two teams Shahrdari Bam and Vochan Kordestan have identical records with 10 wins and 30 points respectively without defeat and will compete on Friday for the midseason title.