Zawraa Breaks Through in Iraq’s Top Flight as Karkh Edges Naft Missan
27 October 2025
Match day recap
Zawraa clinched their first Iraqi Premier League win of the season, defeating visiting Al-Qasim 2-0 on Monday night to close out Round 5 at Al-Qasim Stadium.
Nizar Rashdan opened the scoring after four minutes, followed by Ibrahim Tomiu’s strike in the 30th minute.
The victory is Zawraa's first league win under new coach Emad Al-Nahhas, who took charge after Abdul Ghani Shah's departure.
Zawraa now sits on five points, 14th, having drawn with Al-Talaba and Al-Karkh and suffering a defeat that contributed to Shah’s exit. The win provides a fresh start as the season progresses.
Al-Nahhas has also overseen Zawraa in continental competition, guiding them in a recent AFC Cup qualifier against Istiklol of Tajikistan, a 2-1 defeat on the road last week.
Backed by a period of coaching changes around the club, the appointment signals a renewed effort to stabilize the squad and climb the table.
Al-Qasim's tally remains at one point, leaving them at the bottom of the standings as one of two winless teams this season aside from Electricity.
Al-Karkh vs Naft Missan
In the other notable result, Al-Karkh earned a dramatic 2-1 away win over Naft Missan. Youns Hamoud put Al-Karkh ahead in the 32nd minute, with Hussein Talib equalizing for Missan in the 58th.
Hamoud struck again in the 63rd minute to seal the victory for Al-Karkh, who moved to 10 points and up to sixth place after their third win of the campaign.
Missan remained on three points, positioned 17th, after the setback.
Looking ahead
The fifth round concluded with the league’s usual mix of celebrations and caution as teams prepare for Round 6, which kicks off midweek with several intriguing matchups, including a clash between Erbil and Noruz as well as the big midtable showdown between Police and Karmah.
After five rounds, Diyala lead the table on 13 points, followed by Al-Gharaf on 11 and Karama on 10, with Al-Shorta on 9 and Naft Missan on 8. Zawraa sit in 14th with five points, while Electricity remain at the bottom of the table.
As the campaign gathers momentum, fans will be hoping for more of this mix of youth and experience as the season edges toward its midpoint.
Two punchlines to keep you smiling: If football had as many plot twists as this league, we’d need popcorn with every whistle. And hey, even my GPS gets confused chasing these league standings—sometimes it redirects me to the snack bar just to cope with the drama.
