After a friendly match between Iran national team and Shahab Zanjan in Tehran, Iran's then head coach Miroslav Ciro Blazevic, who had already guided his Croatian side to third place in the 1998 World Cup, invited Afazeli to join the national team staff as technical adviser and analyst.

After Ciro departed, Afazeli stayed with the national team for four more years with newly promoted Branko Ivanković.

He refused to join Ali Daei as an assistant in Perspolis of Tehran and spoke of his desire to be a head coach again.

Afazeli announced his resignation immediately after the second leg in Bishkek during the post-match press conference due to a "lack of support from the Iranian Olympic Committee and Football Federation of Iran."

On 20 September 2013, the Iranian Football Federation appointed Afazeli as technical director of Iran national under-23 football team, to supervise the team progress and plans for the upcoming Asian Championship in Oman, the first ever championship of the age category in Asia.