# Naghsh-e-Jahan Derby

The Naghsh-e-Jahan Derby, also known as the Isfahan Derby, is a football match between Sepahan and Zob Ahan, the two biggest teams of the city of Isfahan, Iran.
According to journalist Afshin Afshar, the competition is one of the most popular annual football events in Iran.

## History

The first match between Sepahan and Zob Ahan was played in the 1972 Jam-e-Enghelab football tournament, held in Isfahan. Sepahan won 5–4 in a thrilling penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes of play. Sepahan's goals were scored by Masoud Tabesh, Rasoul Khorosh, Hajrasouli, Chalangar and Yazdkhasti, while Zob Ahan's fifth penalty by Yazdanpanah was saved by Mohammad Borzmehri, who was known as the "Iranian Yashin". The two clubs then played each other annually in the Takht Jamshid Cup (1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77 and 1977/78). The rivalry resumed in the 1990s when they faced each other in the Azadegan League (1993/94, 1996/97, 1997/98) and from then on, they met each other twice a year.

## All-time record

| Tournament | Matches | Sepahan wins | Draws | Zob Ahan wins | Sepahan goals | Zob Ahan goals |
| Pro League | 48 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 65 | 39 |
| Azadegan League | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 13 |
| Hazfi Cup | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Takht Jamshid Cup | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Other tournaments | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 76 | 30 | 27 | 19 | 91 | 66 |

## All results

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| No. | Date | Result | Sepahan goals | Zob Ahan goals | Venue | Competition |
| 1 | 1972 | 0(5)-0(4) | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Jam-e-Enghelab |
| 2 | 10 May 1974 | 0-0 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 3 | 22 November 1974 | 0-0 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 4 | 6 June 1975 | 0-0 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 5 | 1976 | 1-2 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 6 | 13 August 1976 | 2-1 | Shahzeydi (47), Dehghan (62) | Khayati (78) | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 7 | 26 November 1976 | 0-0 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 8 | 7 April 1977 | 2-0 | Veisi (65)(89) | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 9 | 27 September 1978 | 1-1 | Rahimi (82) | Yazdkhasti (45) | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Takht Jamshid Cup |
| 10 | 7 March 1978 | 0-1 | | | Bagh Homayoun Stadium | Hazfi Cup |
| 11 | 7 March 1986 | 1-2 | Nikobin (72) | Najafi (22), Banirashid (43) | Takhti Stadium | Isfahan Hazfi Cup |
| 12 | 1993 | 0-2 | - | Simakani (2 goals) | Takhti Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 13 | 1994 | 0-3 | - | Simakani, Hosseini, Agha-Hassani | Takhti Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 14 | 14 May 1995 | 1-1 | Fakhr Mohammadi (85) | Sharifi (70) | 22 Bahman Stadium | Naghsh-Jahan Cup |
| 15 | 7 March 1995 | 1-2 | | | 22 Bahman Stadium | Hazfi Cup |
| 16 | 1996 | 0-0 | - | - | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 17 | 21 April 1997 | 2-1 | Fayazi, Kaabianpour | Soltani(penalty) | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 18 | 1 August 1997 | 2-2 | Stepanyan(44), Oghabi(68) | Khatibi(18), Sahebi(35) | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 19 | 1998 | 0-0 | | | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 20 | 18 September 1998 | 1-0 | Mousavi(81) | - | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 21 | 30 January 1999 | 3-0 | Stepanyan(21), Dehghani(34), Momenzadeh(90) | - | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 22 | 20 August 1999 | 3-0 | Basirat(14,84 pen), Dehghani(32) | | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 23 | 20 January 2000 | 0-0 | | | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 24 | 18 August 2000 | 2-1 | Loveinian(31), Veysi(40) | Ostovari(21) | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 25 | 21 January 2001 | 0-4 | - | Petrossian(21), Sahebi(73,92), Ostovari(93) | 22 Bahman Stadium | Azadegan League |
| 26 | 1 February 2002 | 2-0 | Bezik (38), Stepanyan (45) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 1st |
| 27 | 19 May 2002 | 2-0 | Sartipi (41), Karimi (90) | | Naghsh-e-Jahan | IPL 1st |
| 28 | 27 December 2002 | 1-0 | Karimi (2) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 2nd |
| 29 | 11 May 2003 | 4-0 | Bezik (17,72), Karimi (42), M. Navidkia (50) | - | Naghsh-e-Jahan | IPL 2nd |
| 30 | 30 June 2003 | 1(3)-1(4) | Seyed-Salehi (90) | Shafiei (42) | Naghsh-e-Jahan | Hazfi Cup |
| 31 | 13 September 2003 | 1-3 | Bayat (31) | Omidian (3), Rajabzadeh (51), Vaziri (70) | Fooladshahar | IPL 3rd |
| 32 | 6 January 2004 | 2-1 | M. Navidkia (45), Bezik (83) | Rajabzadeh (25) | Naghsh-e-Jahan | IPL 3rd |
| 33 | 27 June 2004 | 1(5)-1(3) | Khatibi | Ezukam | Naghsh-e-Jahan | Hazfi Cup |
| 34 | 19 November 2004 | 0-1 | - | Aghily (72)(OG) | Naghsh-e-Jahan | IPL 4th |
| 35 | 10 April 2005 | 1-1 | Khatibi (6) | Fatemi (53) | Fooladshahar | IPL 4th |
| 36 | 22 September 2005 | 0-2 | | Farhadi (16), Sajedi (90+4) | Fooladshahar | IPL 5th |
| 37 | 19 January 2006 | 2-0 | Khatibi (53), R. Navidkia (90+4) | - | Naghsh-e-Jahan | IPL 5th |
| 38 | 17 October 2006 | 2-0 | Bengar (20), Aghily (60) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 6th |
| 39 | 28 February 2007 | 1-2 | Nouri (42) | Rajabzadeh (12), Amraei (75) | Fooladshahar | IPL 6th |
| 40 | 16 December 2007 | 0-1 | | Bengar (16)(OG) | Fooladshahar | IPL 7th |
| 41 | 5 March 2008 | 2-2 | Mohammed (76), Hajsafi(86) | Khalatbari (3), Mosalman(61) | Fooladshahar | IPL 7th |
| 42 | 18 September 2008 | 1-2 | Hajsafi (33) | Mosalman (11), Castro (71) | Fooladshahar | IPL 8th |
| 43 | 31 January 2009 | 1-2 | Armando Sá (35) | Castro (5,37) | Fooladshahar | IPL 8th |
| 44 | 6 November 2009 | 0-0 | | | Fooladshahar | IPL 9th |
| 45 | 17 February 2010 | 0-1 | | Hosseini (70) | Fooladshahar | IPL 9th |
| 46 | 18 August 2010 | 0-1 | | Khalatbari (27) | Fooladshahar | IPL 10th |
| 47 | 13 February 2011 | 2-0 | Aghily(36), Janjuš(55) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 10th |
| 48 | 9 December 2011 | 1-1 | Januário (53) | Ghazi (39) | Fooladshahar | IPL 11th |
| 49 | 6 May 2012 | 0-0 | | | Fooladshahar | IPL 11th |
| 50 | 6 August 2012 | 4-0 | Ta'mini(17), Đalović(48), M. Navidkia(51), Jamshidian(89) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 12th |
| 51 | 13 January 2013 | 4-3 | Sukaj(6, 14), Ebrahimi(32), M. Navidkia(77) | Rajabzadeh(28)(56), Pahlavan(76) | Fooladshahar | IPL 12th |
| 52 | 27 September 2013 | 1-0 | Ebrahimi (24) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 13th |
| 53 | 7 February 2014 | 1-0 | Karimi (64) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 13th |
| 54 | 29 August 2014 | 1-1 | Sharifi (56) | Mosalman (60) | Fooladshahar | IPL 14th |
| 55 | 20 February 2015 | 1-1 | Khalatbari (24) | Imani (37) | Fooladshahar | IPL 14th |
| 56 | 7 August 2015 | 1-0 | Karimi (73) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 15th |
| 57 | 24 November 2015 | 2(1)-2(4) | Ghafouri (52,113) | Tabrizi (2) Hosseini (110) | Fooladshahar | Hazfi Cup |
| 58 | 2 January 2016 | 1-1 | Khalatbari (41) | Pahlavan (14) | Fooladshahar | IPL 15th |
| 59 | 16 October 2016 | 0-2 | | Tabrizi (13)(68) | Fooladshahar | IPL 16th |
| 60 | 5 March 2017 | 2-1 | Djeparov (9), Hassanzadeh (26, P) | Bengtson (87, P) | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 16th |
| 61 | 17 August 2017 | 2-0 | Ansari (72), Alimohammadi (90+4) | | Fooladshahar | IPL 17th |
| 62 | 12 January 2018 | 1-2 | Ansari (93, P) | Fakhreddini (11) Tabrizi (88) | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 17th |
| 63 | 17 August 2018 | 2-1 | Mohammadi (25) Pourghaz (27) | Hosseini (71) | Fooladshahar | IPL 18th |
| 64 | 26 March 2019 | 1-1 | Shahbazzadeh (34) | Motahari (85) | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 18th |
| 65 | 4 October 2019 | 2-0 | Gvelesiani (51) Kiros (64) | | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 19th |
| 66 | 27 February 2020 | 1-1 | Torkaman (4) | Bjedov (90, P) | Fooladshahar | IPL 19th |
| 67 | 5 February 2021 | 3-1 | Mohebi (2) Esmaeilifar (78) Salmani (90+4) | Shenani (80) | Fooladshahar | IPL 20th |
| 68 | 25 July 2021 | 2-0 | Noorafkan (45) Mirzaei (90+6) | | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 20th |
| 69 | 5 November 2021 | 0-1 | | Danaei (57) | Fooladshahar | IPL 21st |
| 70 | 23 February 2022 | 0-0 | - | - | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 21st |
| 71 | 5 September 2022 | 1-1 | Moghanlou (23) | Ghasemi (36, P) | Fooladshahar | IPL 22nd |
| 72 | 14 February 2023 | 2-1 | Moghanlou (50) Ahmadzadeh (54) | Eslami (10) | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 22nd |
| 73 | 16 August 2023 | 2-0 | Asadi (52, P) Moghanlou (65) | - | Fooladshahar | IPL 23rd |
| 74 | 17 April 2024 | 1-0 | Moghanlou (69, P) | - | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 23rd |
| 75 | 22 September 2024 | 1-1 | Yousefi (31) | Kamyabinia (83) | Fooladshahar | IPL 24rd |
| 76 | 21 February 2025 | 4-1 | Kamara (15) Aghaeipour (70) Asadi (77) Limouchi (89) | Khaghani (48) | Naghsh-e Jahan | IPL 24rd |

## Summary of results
### Total matches

| Teams | Matches | Wins | Draws | Loses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference |
| Sepahan | 76 | 30 | 27 | 19 | 91 | 66 | +25 |
| Zob Ahan | 76 | 19 | 27 | 30 | 66 | 91 | -25 |

## Trophies

| Team | Domestic | Domestic | Domestic | Domestic | International | Grand Total |
| Team | Iranian Leagues | Hazfi Cup | Super Cup | Domestic Total | Champions League | Grand Total |
| Sepahan | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Zob Ahan | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |

## Top goal scorers

| Position | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Mehdi Rajabzadeh | Zob Ahan | 5 |
| 2 | Edmond Bezik | Sepahan | 4 |
| 2 | Rasoul Khatibi $^1$ | Sepahan / Zob Ahan | 4 |
| 2 | Moharram Navidkia | Sepahan | 4 |
| 2 | Mohammad Reza Khalatbari $^2$ | Zob Ahan / Sepahan | 4 |
| 2 | Morteza Tabrizi | Zob Ahan | 4 |
| 2 | Shahriyar Moghanlou | Sepahan | 4 |
| 8 | Abbas Simakani | Zob Ahan | 3 |
| 8 | Reza Sahebi | Zob Ahan | 3 |
| 8 | Levon Stepanyan | Sepahan | 3 |
| 8 | Mahmoud Karimi | Sepahan | 3 |
| 8 | Igor Castro | Zob Ahan | 3 |
| 8 | Mohsen Mosalman | Zob Ahan | 3 |
$^1$ Khatibi scored 3 goals as the Sepahan player and 1 goal as the Zob Ahan player. $^2$ Khalatbari scored 2 goals as the Zob Ahan player and 2 goals as the Sepahan player.

## Notable Derby Players

| Name | Club | Goals | Years |
| Mehdi Rajabzadeh | Zob Ahan | 5 | 2010-11 2012- |
| Moharram Navidkia | Sepahan | 4 | 1998-04, 2006–16 |
| Edmond Bezik | Sepahan | 4 | 2001-06 |
| Morteza Tabrizi | Zob Ahan | 4 | 2013-18 |
| Mohammad Reza Khalatbari | Zob Ahan, Sepahan | 4 | 2006–11, 2012–13, 2014–16 |
| Rasoul Khatibi | Sepahan, Zob Ahan | 4 | 2003-06, 2009 |
| Shahriyar Moghanlou | Sepahan | 4 | 2022-24 |
| Mohsen Mosalman | Zob Ahan | 3 | 2007-2015 |
| Abbas Simakani | Zob Ahan | 3 | 1990-? |
| Igor Castro | Zob Ahan | 3 | 2008-12 |
| Levon Stepanyan | Sepahan | 3 | 1996-01, 2002–05 |
| Mahmoud Karimi | Sepahan | 3 | 1998-09 |
| Reza Sahebi | Zob Ahan | 3 | 1997-2003 |
| Vouria Ghafouri | Sepahan | 2 | 2014-16 |
| Omid Ebrahimi | Sepahan | 2 | 2010-2014 |
| Hadi Aghily | Sepahan | 2 | 2004-11, 2013–16 |
| Ehsan Hajsafi | Sepahan | 2 | 2006-2015 |
| Reza Ostovari | Zob Ahan | 2 | 2000-? |
| Davoud Dehghani | Sepahan | 2 | 1998-? |
| Ehsan Pahlevan | Zob Ahan | 2 | 2013- |
| Sasan Ansari | Sepahan | 2 | 2017- |
| Mohammad Reza Hosseini | Zob Ahan | 2 | 2015- |
| Reza Asadi | Sepahan | 2 | 2024- |