Arab, Mostafa

Mostafa Arab (مصطفی عرب) is a former Iranian captain and defender who represented Iran for over a decade. Arab was the youngest Iran national football team player of all time, debuting in 1959, before his record was broken by Hossein Kaabi in 2003. Born in Tehran in 1941, he participated in the Asian Games, the Asian Championship, and the Olympics. Throughout his lengthy career he would only receive a single yellow and no red cards.

While Arab initially pursued volleyball, he later switched to soccer, playing with local team Poolad during his teenage years. His shining displays at Poolad led team captain, Fereydoon Asgarzadeh, to suggest him to Tehranjavan team officials. As Tehranjavan and Daraei were both simultaneously coached by Hossein Fekri, this led to Arab being eventually moved to Daraei without ever lining up for Tehranjavan. At age 16 Arab began practicing with Daraei and finally making the bench at age 17 in a friendly against Shahin. He would line up for them a couple of months later during Daraei’s participation in the Agha Khan Cup in Bangladesh. Shortly after returning, Arab would win a 4-team competition in Tehran amongst the teams of Daraei, Shahin, Taj and Kian. This success would ultimately prompt the Iranian federation to recruit Arab and 5 other Daraei players to the national team.

In the 1961 season he would win both the Tehran Club Championship with Daraei in addition to the national championship with Tehran’s selection. He would remain with Daraei although club team Oghab which was established as a secondary team of the Iranian air force (alongside Nirooye Havaei) eventually recruited Arab. With Arab in its lineup Oghab was constantly a contender in the Tehran Club Championship regularly finishing towards the top of the table. Internal issues in 1967 prompted Arab to temporarily act as Oghab player-coach.

With the establishment of the Takht’e Jamshid Cup, Arab participated in the inaugural league in 1973, although due to extending his studies abroad he only took part in Oghab’s initial five games, guiding his team through them undefeated. Arab would spend the following season with Oghab in the Takht’e Jamshid Cup, however, at the end of the season, Iran’s soccer federation suspended Oghab’s license due to not having a dedicated home stadium. Arab would transition into coaching by taking the reins of another Airforce team, Shahir, and would remain with them until 1978.

Arab received his first national callup in 1959 playing in the unsuccessful 1960 Asian Championship qualifying campaign. With games being few and far in between during the early 1960s, Arab’s next major involvement for the national team came in 1963 during the 1964 Olympic qualifiers. Arab would feature in every game, even scoring in a 4-0 win against Iraq. He would play in all 3 games in the 1964 Olympics in which Iran would exit with one tie and two losses.

The 1965 year would mainly be played against foreign club competition although Arab would win the RCD Cup against the Turkish and Pakistani national teams in which Arab would once again score a goal. The following year Arab would represent Iran in the 1966 Asian Games, taking part in most of the games but falling to Burma in the final and ultimately settling for a silver medal.

While Iran would elect not to participate in the 1968 Olympic qualifiers, however, with the 1968 Asian Championship taking part in Iran, Arab found the chance to demonstrate his talents in front of home crowds in Iran’s first foray in this continental competition. Arab played in all 4 games, which resulted in 4 wins and Iran’s first of a hattrick of championships. 

In 1970 Iran and Arab would once again win the RCD Cup against Turkey and Pakistan before heading to the 1970 Asian Games in which two weak performances against Indonesia and South Korea, for which Arab would line up in the former, would result in a group stage exit.

 

In 1971 Arab would win the Cyrus International Tournament on home soil against foreign club competition. Arab, who would now captain the team, would once again take part in qualifiers for the 1972 Olympics. Arab would be a constant presence in Iran’s lineup and successful qualification. In spite of this Arab would be left off of Iran’s roster for the 1972 Olympics, an omission that Arab has blamed on behind the scene politics.

In spite of not being included on the Olympic roster, Arab would make the team as captain for the 1972 Asian Championship in Thailand. Iran would play 5 games, including a preliminary game to determine seeding, and once again Iran would defeat all opponents to win its second continental championship with Arab lifting the trophy. 

This championship entitled Iran to represent Asia in Brazil’s Independence Cup a month later. Iran would face off against Chile, Ecuador, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland and while Iran would only be able to salvage a tie against Ecuador, however, Arab would play every minute and at the conclusion of Iran’s 2-1 defeat against Chile, Arab would retire from the national team.