Tasnim – Iran legend defender Mehdi Mahdavikia has been shortlisted for the best ever AFC Asian Cup defender.
In the past few weeks Iranian legends Ali Daei and Ali Karimi were voted as the best forward and midfielder, and now it's time to turn the attention to defenders.
Capable of playing at the right side of defense or midfield, Mehdi Mahdavikia was one of the finest talents to come out the Islamic Republic of Iran, the-afc.com wrote.
Mahdavikia was vital for Iran in the last two times they reached the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup in 1996 and in 2004, earning a place in the 2004 Team of the Tournament.
The 2003 AFC Player of the Year spent the majority of his career playing in the German Bundesliga, and is Team Melli's fourth most capped player with 110 appearances, including two involvements in the FIFA World Cup.