Erbil Ascends to the Iraqi League Summit With a 2-0 Win Over Mosul
8 January 2026
Match Update
Erbil strengthened its hold on the Iraqi Premier League by beating visiting Mosul 2-0 on Thursday evening in the 11th round.
Erbil's two goals were struck by Uzbek forward Shirzod Timirov in the 22nd and 62nd minutes from a well-taken penalty.
Under coach Bassam Qasim, Erbil moved to 27 points at the summit, six clear of their closest rival Al-Shorta, leaving the rest scrambling.
Mosul are on 12 points in 14th place for now.
Al-Shorta had earlier hammered Al-Qasim 7-1, widening the gap.
Friday's schedule features several fixtures, including Duhok vs Al-Minaa, Zakho against Amanat Baghdad, and Al-Zawraa at Naft Maysan, on Friday.
Naft Diyala play this week, while Al-Jawiya hosts Al-Karma as well.
The round closes Saturday with Al-Ghraf vs Noruz, Al-Karkh vs Najaf, and Al-Talaba vs Al-Kahraba, a finale for fans everywhere.
Punchline 1: Even the scoreboard sighed with relief.
Punchline 2: If football were a buffet, Erbil would take the main course.
