Wednesday's derby between Tehran's two football giants, Persepolis and Esteghlal, will witness a maiden appearance of a woman in the refereeing team for a men's match in Iran.

Though not on the field, 34-year-old Mahsa Ghorbani will observe the match with two others as video assistant referees.

Ghorbani's assignment is a mark of a new era in a closed-off world of Iranian men's football that has rarely seen women in the stadiums.

Last year, 3,000 Iranian women, after decades of fighting to get into stadiums, were able to attend their first derby, a move welcomed by FIFA.

"Iranian women have proven that they can obtain their rights, despite the patriarchal management of football," said Ebrahim Afshar, one of the country's best-known sports journalists.

"And one day, one of them will become the main referee."

As it stands in the league table, Esteghlal lead by three points ahead of title holders Persepolis, with 11 games to play.

Out of 102 matches, 49 have ended in draws so far, with Persepolis winning 27 and Esteghlal 26.

And set to host the 103rd Tehran Derby is Azadi stadium – one of the largest in the world, and home to both teams – which will see its seats packed.

"It's the most important match. There's a crazy atmosphere, incredible to experience," Kevin Yamga, the only Frenchman playing in Iran, told AFP.