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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iman Basafa[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 January 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Isfahan, Iran | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Shahrdari Bandar Abbas | ||
| 2010–2011 | Mes Sarcheshmeh | ||
| 2011–2012 | Steel Azin | ||
| 2012–2013 | Shahrdari Arak | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Shahrdari Arak | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Esteghlal | 6 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | → Esteghlal Khuzestan (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Fajr Sepasi | 57 | (9) |
| 2017–2018 | Malavan | 22 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | Aluminium Arak | 23 | (3) |
| 2019–2020 | Pars Jonoubi | 21 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Machine Sazi | 20 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Bengaluru | 7 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Iran U17 | 12 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Iran U20 | 6 | (1) |
| 2011–2014 | Iran U23 | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:53, 11 February 2022 (UTC) | |||
Iman Basafa (Persian: ایمان باصفا; born 3 January 1992), is an Iranian professional footballer who most recently played as a defensive midfielder.[2] He represented Iran national team at various youth levels.[3]
Iman Basafa began his youth career at Shahrdari Bandar Abbas and signed his first professional contract for Aluminium Arak FC in July 2012.[4] He signed for Esteghlal FC in 2013 and later joined Esteghlal Khuzestan in 2014. His next destination was Fajr Sepasi Shiraz in 2015 and after two years, Basafa signed for Malavan Bandar Anzali in 2017.[citation needed]
In 2018, he returned to Aluminium Arak for a second spell with the club. However, he moved to Pars Jonoubi Jam after a year. In September 2020, he joined Machine Sazi Tabriz and later moved to India and signed with Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League.[citation needed]
Iman Basafa has played in both the first and second tier of the Iranian league system. He is well-versed with domestic football in Iran and possesses many qualities learned from his experience there. He has made 104 appearances in the Azadegan League (the second tier), recording 17 goals and one assist in the process. The 29-year-old has also played over 64 games in the Persian Gulf Pro League (first tier), managing two goals and two assists.[citation needed]
Furthermore, Basafa has one AFC Champions League appearance, which was with Esteghlal FC. The midfielder has recorded over 12,116 minutes of football across his career and is no way past his best. Basafa has made the most appearances for Fajr Sepasi Shiraz (57) and also scored the most goals for them (9) among all his clubs.[citation needed]
Last season's performance The defensive midfielder turned out for Machine Sazi Tabriz in the Persian Gulf Pro League. He made 20 appearances for the outfit, clocking 1601 minutes of football. He did not score any goals and provided one assist. The outfit finished bottom, in 16th place, managing only 14 points in 30 games. Basafa also featured in the Hazfi Cup, in a 3–0 defeat to Foolad FC in the fourth round.
After his move to India, Basafa made his Indian Super League debut for Bengaluru FC on 20 November 2021 against NorthEast United FC in a 4–2 win.[5][6] On 24 November, he played the whole match against Odisha FC but they lost by 3–1.[7] He scored his first league goal for Bengaluru on 26 January 2022 against Chennaiyin in their 3–0 win.
Iman Basafa is a defensive midfielder. He likes to sit deep and protect the backline.[8]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Iran | League | Hazfi Cup | ACL | Total | ||||||
| 2013–14 | Esteghlal | Pro League | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | → Est. Khuzestan | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | Fajr Sepasi | Azadegan League | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 2 | |
| 2016–17 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 | 7 | |||
| 2017–18 | Malavan | Azadegan League | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Aluminium Arak | Azadegan League | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 6 |
| 2019–20 | Pars Jonoubi | Pro League | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 1 |
| 2020–21 | Machine Sazi | Pro League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 |
| 2021–22 | Bengaluru FC | Indian Super League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | - | - | 144 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 150 | 19 |