Clutch Wins and Top-Table Shuffles: Talaba Edges Duhok as Erbil Pushes Past Karmah
3 octobre 2025
Matchday Highlights
The Talaba–Duhok clash proved gripping from the opening whistle as the Iraqi Premier League entered its fourth round. Talaba secured a 2-1 victory at their home stadium, taking control early through a well-worked goal by Sief Rashid in the 27th minute.
In the second half, Talaba extended their lead when striker Simon Musova found the net in the 68th minute, leaving Duhok chasing an uphill task. Two minutes later, Duhok pulled one back thanks to Karim Darwish in the 70th.
A moment of controversy arrived when Duhok's Poly Junior was sent off with a straight red in 45+3, leaving the visitors a man down as the half ended. Talaba moved to eight points, climbing to fourth in the table, though their tally remains affected by a three-point deduction for an administrative error involving a jersey number on Mustafa Mohammed Man. The club has filed an official protest while the case proceeds.
Duhok, under coach Suleiman Ramadan, remained winless with zero points and sat 19th in the standings.
Standings and Next Fixtures
Separately, Erbil beat Karmah 2-1. Shirzod Timirov opened the scoring in the 26th minute, with Mu'taz Zadam adding a second on the brink of halftime. Karmah's reply came through Mo'mel Abdul-Rida in the 70th minute.
The result kept Erbil on top with 10 points, while Karmah slipped to seventh with seven points in sixth place.
Earlier in the same round, Karkh and Naft produced a 2-2 draw. Muhammad Khalid Kofi struck twice for Karkh in the 26th and 51st minutes, while Naft equalized via a 45th-minute penalty by Ahmed Khaled and a late leveller by Mohamed Sada at 45+7.
Looking ahead, the league calendar keeps buzzing with matches scheduled for tomorrow: Gharraf against Al-Qasim, Electricity vs Police, and Zakho hosting Norouz in a key clash.
Before the next round, coach Hassan Hadi of Gharraf said: "Our match is important; we will play on their ground with their fans. We will try to overcome the challenges and secure a positive result while recognizing our bans and suspensions."
Coach Haider Ubaid of Gharraf added: "We aim for three crucial points to stay at the top before the international break. Injuries and suspensions are noted, but we trust the rest of the squad to deliver."
Yasin Arah, coach of Norouz, stated: "We will keep the same mentality in every game and play bravely for football of beauty worthy of this derby."
Wassem Rizq, coach of Zakho, commented: "A home game is always special. We’re on the right track but need three to four more matches to increase harmony. The busy schedule between the Gulf region and the Iraqi league stretched us, but we’re ready for a strong performance."
These results deepen the league’s intrigue as teams jockey for position at the top while others battle relegation pressures. Reflecting on last season, Police clinched their eighth title, finishing 10 points clear of their rivals in a campaign that saw 862 goals, an average of 2.26 per game. Mohannad Ali topped the scorers with 27 goals, and notable results included a 6-0 win for Police over Diyala away and Zakho’s 5-0 victory over Karbala.
As the season unfolds, expect more twists and late drama—and perhaps a few more jersey-number dramas to keep the statisticians busy.
Punchline 1: If this league had a calendar, it would be packed with fourth-round drama and a reminder that football loves a good plot twist right at the whistle.
Punchline 2: And remember, in football as in life, the only time you want to be offside is when you’re off the field – the popcorn is already waiting for the extra time.
