Top-Table Tumble: Erbil Falls to Al-Talaba as Iraqi League Buzzes
23 January 2026
Matchday Highlights
Erbil, top of the Iraqi league standings, suffered their second consecutive defeat as they lost 0-2 to visiting Al-Talaba this Friday in the 14th round of the competition.
Algerian Karim Areebi opened the scoring for Al-Talaba in the third minute and Tanzanian Simon Mosova sealed the second at 90+9.
The match saw a red card for Haroon Al-Zubaidi in 90+7 from Erbil.
Erbil’s tally stood at 30 points atop the table after their second straight defeat, following a loss to Al-Zawraa in the previous round.
Al-Talaba's total rose to 27 points in fourth place.
Meanwhile, defending champions Al-Shorta drew 1-1 away at Al-Minaa.
Mohammed Qasim Nasif scored for Al-Minaa in the 32nd minute, while Cameroonian Lionel Atiba equalized for the Police in the 54th.
The result left Al-Shorta on 26 points in fifth, with a pending match against Al-Zawraa, while Al-Minaa rose to 17 points in 13th.
Naft Missan beat Naft Basra 2-1 as the Congolese Krist Kovuvama opened for Missan in the 63rd minute and Hossam Khalaf converted a penalty for Basra in the 80th.
Naft Missan’s tally rose to 13 points in 16th place, while Naft stood on 17 points in 12th.
Mosul won away at Al-Kahraba 1-0, with Syrian Alaa Al-Dali scoring from a 60th-minute penalty.
Mosul climbed to 15 points in 15th place, while Al-Kahraba remained on 8 points in 18th.
Bottom line: the table may tilt, but football endures—two goals, a thousand sighs, and a snappy punchline: even the coffee nods at the drama.
