Iraq's Round Six: Jawiya on the Charge as Najaf Shocks Amanat Baghdad and the Defense-Door Slams Shut
30 October 2025
Round Six Highlights
The sixth round of the Iraq Premier League produced a string of thrilling results, led by Amanat Baghdad's 0-1 loss to Najaf and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's 2-1 victory over Diyala, with other matches ending in goalless stalemates.
At Najaf, the home side claimed a precious 1-0 win over Amanat Baghdad, with Senegalese forward Idrissa Niang striking the decisive goal. A red card for Amanat's Tunisian Hamdi Al-Obaidi left his team down to ten and complicating hopes of a comeback.
Amanat Baghdad pressed on with ten men, but Najaf's defense held firm to preserve the clean sheet until the final whistle.
In another game, Al-Gharraf drew with Zakho; the encounter was marked by cautious defending and few clear chances, leaving both sides with a point apiece.
The Duhok vs Naft fixture also finished goalless, as defenses smothered attacks and neither side could convert chances after the break.
Highlight match of the round saw Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya extend their solid form by beating Diyala 2-1. Captain Saad Abdul Amir opened the scoring with a precise strike, and Harith Hatim doubled the advantage to put the blue team ahead.
Diyala pulled a late goal back through Nigerian striker Collins Obari, capitalizing on a defensive error, but a red card for a Diyala player dampened their momentum in the final minutes.
With this win, Al-Jawiya continued their title challenge, while Diyala suffered their first defeat of the campaign, ending a strong start to the season.
Najaf recorded their second victory of the season, boosting morale among their supporters, and Amanat Baghdad's situation grew direr following another setback that may provoke tactical reassessment in coming rounds.
The results underlined the league's parity, with four games producing only two goals in total, underscoring the league's tactical discipline and robust defenses this season.
Looking ahead to Round Seven, big clashes loom as top teams like Al-Shorta, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, and Zakho push for the podium, while the pursuit of the crown intensifies for the major clubs alongside the blue-shirted Jawiya who appear to be in peak form.
Jawiya's points rose to 13 under coach Rashid Jaber, placing them third and level on points with Diyala in second on goal difference.
Punchline 1 The league is so precise that even a sniper would admire the defenders—every clearance lands perfectly, with hardly any collateral damage except for a dramatic sigh from the bench.
Punchline 2 If patience is a virtue, Iraqi football fans must be saints—round six proved timing is everything, and somehow the ball still finds the net… eventually.
