Late goal secures victory for Erbil in Iraqi Premier League

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Erbil Sports Club earned a late win against opponents Al-Karkh in the Iraqi Premier League on Saturday.

The Kurdistan Region club left it late but ensured their fans had something to celebrate when Marcelo Silva scored in the 85th minute to secure the 1-0 victory.

“I have worked so hard since signing [for Erbil]; I always try to do my best to help my team,” Silva told Kurdistan 24 after the match.  

The result did not change Erbil’s (11-11-13) league position as they remain in 10th place, but the victory against fourth-placed Al-Karkh (15-11-9) will definitely boost the players’ morale as they look to end their season on a high with three matches left to play.

Erbil’s next match is against bottom of the league side Al-Bahri (4-11-19).

One of the league’s most successful football clubs, Erbil withdrew from Iraq’s Premier League during the 2016-17 season due to financial issues.

They have been crowned Iraqi Premier League champions four times, most recently in the 2011-12 season, when they only lost one match.

Erbil is also the first club from the Iraqi league to qualify for continental club tournaments. In 2008, they qualified for the Asian Champions League but failed to progress from the group stage.

However, in Asia’s second-tier continental tournament, the AFC Cup, Erbil have finished runners-up on two occasions, in 2012 and 2014. 

(Additional reporting by Derbaz Ahmed)