HIGHLIGHTS: Dalkurd record narrow 2-0 loss in Swedish topflight league opener

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Dalkurd FF, a Kurdish-affiliated Swedish football team, recorded a narrow 2-0 loss against AIK in their first match in Sweden’s top-tier Allsvenskan league on Monday.

AIK scored one goal in either half of the match with midfielder Robert Lundstroem scoring the first goal in the 33rd minute before substitute Anton Joensson added another late in second-half stoppage time.

Despite the loss, Dalkurd will be optimistic about their chances this season having dominated possession in Monday’s league opener. They will also be encouraged following a dominant campaign last year where they clinched promotion, finishing second-place.

Their next game is at home to Östersunds FK at the Gavlevallen stadium on April 8.

Dalkurd, based in the Swedish city of Borlänge, was founded on Sep. 26, 2004, by nine Kurdish immigrants as a social project to keep children distracted from the vices of the streets.

The club has since built academies in both Sweden, and the Kurdistan Region as Dalkurd takes pride in being “born with a social responsibility,” according to their website.

The team’s colors are symbolic of Kurdistan, with the Kurdish flag included in the crest on their shirts.

The club has bull-dozed its way up the ranks of Swedish football since their 2005 introduction in Tier Seven, winning five promotions in their first five seasons.

“There are plenty of people who feel a great responsibility toward a lot of people out in the world,” former Dalkurd coach Andreas Brännström previously said.

With promotion into the first level of Swedish football, Dalkurd now faces the prospect of UEFA Champions League or Europa League qualification—an opportunity awarded to the top three teams in the Allsvenskan league.