In one of the highlights of the second day of round 35, Zakho Club managed to overcome the challenge of its guest Naft Basra with a score of 2-1, during the match that took place on Saturday evening at Zakho Stadium in front of a good audience, allowing the northern team to regain its balance after a period of decline and continue its pursuit of the second place in the standings.

The two teams entered the match with different objectives, as Zakho, aspiring to remain in the top three positions, was seeking to achieve a new victory to forget its recent negative results, while Naft Basra was on a tough mission to try to escape the specter of relegation that has been haunting the team this season.

The surprise came early from the guests, as Ismail Agoro managed to open the scoring for Naft Basra in the 10th minute, after a collective effort and quick passes near the penalty area, the ball reached him at the edge of the area and he shot it powerfully towards the left corner of the goalkeeper, scoring a beautiful goal that gave his team the lead.

Zakho did not wait long to respond, as it regained the initiative and imposed high pressure that resulted in a penalty kick in the 31st minute, after a foul on a player inside the box, with Nasser Mahmoud stepping up to confidently take the kick to the left of the goalkeeper, announcing the equalizer and reigniting the atmosphere of the match.

The second half witnessed a balance in performance, before Zakho capitalized on a fatal defensive mistake by Naft Basra players in the 72nd minute, when one of the defenders made a passing error that allowed the ball to reach Youssef Raed, who did not hesitate to send a shot with his right foot from inside the area that found the net, giving Zakho the precious lead.