Hat-trick Hero: Atiba Sparks Al-Shorta’s 3-0 Triumph Over Al-Karkh as Iraqi Premier League Roars Back
20 November 2025
The Cameroonian Lionel Atiba scored his first hat-trick for Al-Shorta as they defeated Al-Karkh 3-0 on Thursday at the Al-Shaab International Stadium, opening the seventh round of the Iraqi Premier League.
Joining in August from Simba of Tanzania, Atiba struck in the 28th, 74th and 84th minutes to seal the win.
The 26-year-old attacker helped Al-Shorta move to 15 points in second place, one point behind Erbil, with a match in hand against Al-Zawraa.
They are preparing for a high profile away clash with Saudi club Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Tuesday, in the Western section of the AFC Champions League Elite.
On the other hand, Al-Karkh sit seventh with 11 points after their second loss of the Iraqi season.
First half
The match started with a quick push from the Police side, a well-placed cross reaching Mahmoud Al-Mawas who left the field briefly due to a collision, while Al-Karkh’s Yunus fell in the box in a controversial moment according to the referee.
Al-Karkh responded with a fast break led by Yunus Mahmoud, who forced a save from the goalkeeper, while Al-Shorta delivered a dangerous cross that went over the bar, and another cross was cleared by the defense.
Al-Shorta appealed for a handball in the box, but the referee signaled no foul, as Hakim Dhamir’s curler was blocked by the defense and Ayoub extended a dangerous cross that Al-Karkh cleared.
Hector Ahmed’s dangerous delivery from the left posed a threat but went unconverted as both teams battled for an edge in a watchful opening period.
In the 28th minute, Al-Shorta opened the scoring after a sequence of passes from Senegal’s Mendy to Hussein Ali Qasim, who set up Atiba to tap home from close range.
Yunus Ghareeb of Al-Karkh tried a clever lob that tested the keeper, but shots from teammates were either saved or blocked, leaving the score at 1-0 as the half ended.
Second half
Al-Shorta introduced goalkeeper Hassan Ahmed to replace Ahmad Bassem, and the changes didn’t disrupt the flow as the team pressed for a second. Al-Karkh responded with a sharper attack but were repeatedly repelled by solid defense and timely interventions.
In the 54th minute, Al-Karkh’s defense stood tall as a one-on-one chance was denied, and a follow-up blocked shot kept the gap at one goal for a while longer.
Al-Karkh brought on Mamadou Niass to energize the attack, while a temporary outage in the stadium lights paused play briefly, prompting a strategic reshuffle by the visitors.
Moments later, Atiba sealed the match with a second in the 74th minute after collecting a ball in the box and firing a powerful strike into the net, amid protests about a possible foul in the buildup. In the 84th, Atiba completed the hat-trick by dribbling the keeper and finishing clinically.
Domine Mendi tried to outwit the advancing goalkeeper with a long-range effort that narrowly missed, while Yunus Mahmoud’s late chance for Al-Karkh was squandered. The match ended with a commanding 3-0 win for Al-Shorta.
Amr Fathy, an assistant coach for Al-Shorta, said the victory was important after a lengthy break and in the absence of several key players, noting that the team created numerous chances while emphasizing that winning is the primary objective. Hussein Ali, a coach for Al-Karkh, added that his side performed well in the first half but wasted several opportunities and that fatigue and mistakes hurt their performance.
Punchline end: If you’re keeping score at home, Atiba brought a hat-trick, Al-Shorta brought the thunder, and the defence brought the rain—because that’s how you rinse the scoreboard. And yes, the referee probably wore sunglasses to cope with all that shine.
