In one of the most exciting matches of the postponed round 24 of the Iraqi Stars League, Diyala Club achieved a valuable victory against Duhok with a score of 2-1, in the match hosted at the International City Stadium in Baghdad last night, amidst a limited but high-spirited crowd from both teams.

No one expected that the Diyala team, which spent most of the season at the bottom of the standings, would rewrite its final chapter in such a glowing manner. The team, which struggled a lot at the beginning and occupied the last place for long periods, came back to life with the arrival of Tunisian coach Yamen Al-Zlufani, who turned the tables and gradually succeeded in pulling the team out of the danger zone, now standing in seventeenth place with 34 points, relatively distancing itself from the threat of relegation.

In stark contrast, Duhok entered the match dragging behind a series of negative results, after a fiery start to the season where they won the Gulf Champions League title, achieving remarkable statistics under Swedish coach Masoud Miral. However, the sudden collapse, dismissals, and administrative issues weakened the team's focus and robbed it of its luster, leading to another loss that kept their tally at 52 points in sixth place.

The first half witnessed a close control from both teams, but Diyala appeared more organized and calm, especially with Al-Zlufani relying on quick transitions and pressing in the opponent's areas. The Tunisian player Ayman Al-Safaqsi succeeded in opening the scoring for Diyala via a penalty kick in the 45th minute, ending the first half with a deserved lead.

In the second half, Duhok returned to the match atmosphere and pressed for an equalizer, resulting in a goal in the 82nd minute by Siabind Akid, who took advantage of defensive confusion and shot a low ball into the net.

However, Duhok's joy did not last long, as just six minutes later, player Ali Al-Sajjad fired the final nail in the coffin with a clever shot in the 88th minute, granting Diyala a historic victory that boosted the morale of its fans and revived hope once again.

This victory is credited to coach Yamen Al-Zlufani, who managed to save a team that was classified among the first relegated, proving that technical changes, when made at the right time, can turn things upside down.