Iraq’s al-Quwa al-Jawiya Club win third consecutive AFC Cup final

After Saturday’s win, al-Quwa al-Jawiya Club became the first team to win three successive AFC Cup titles.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi football club al-Quwa al-Jawiya were crowned Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup champions for the third year in a row after they secured to a 2-0 win against Turkmenistan side Altyn Asyr on Saturday.

Goals from Hammadi Ahmad and Ibrahim Bayesh in either half of the match were enough to secure the win for the Iraqi club.

The Iraqi club was undefeated in the competition on their way to the final which was played at the Basra Sports City stadium in Iraq’s southern province of Basra.

The club from Turkmenistan, meanwhile, was making its first appearance in the AFC Cup final.

After Saturday’s win, al-Quwa al-Jawiya Club became the first team to win three successive AFC Cup titles, and are level with Kuwaiti club Al-Kuwait who have lifted the trophy three times.

The last club from the Iraqi Premier League to reach the final of the continental club competition was Kurdish side Erbil Sports Club in 2012 and 2014. However, they finished runners-up on both occasions.

Saturday’s game was the second final hosted by a club from the Iraqi Premier League after the 2012 final was played at Erbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium.

Al-Quwa al-Jawiya Club currently sit in second place in the Iraqi Premier League, winning all four of the matches they have played so far.