Career
Afanasiev was first a football player. He played for CDKA Moscow from 1929-1933. He then played for Dukat Moscow in 1933, for Dynamo Bolshevo from 1934-1937, and for Dynamo Kiev from 1938-1941.
He later returned to CDKA Moscow from 1944-1948.
In total, he scored three goals in 93 games played in the Soviet Top League. In 1948, after finishing his football career, Afanasiev began playing ice hockey.
He was CDKA"s goaltender along with Grigory Mkrtychan. He was inducted into the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame in 1948.
After ending his ice hockey career in 1953, Afanasiev became a coach.