Following the thrilling final match of the Iraq Cup, which was lost by Zakho Club against Duhok in a penalty shootout after the original and extra time ended in a goalless draw, Zakho's coach Abdulghani Shahid emerged with angry and sad statements, expressing the team's feeling of injustice, and directed candid words reflecting the extent of frustration over how the decisive confrontation ended.

Shahid said:

“We apologize to our loyal fans who were anticipating a historic moment. We hoped to crown this long journey with a big title that would delight the entire city of Zakho, but unfortunately, things completely went beyond the technical framework, and what happened in the match was painful and unfair.”

The coach continued his talk candidly:

“What happened in the final was not normal. The match was stolen from our team for multiple reasons unrelated to the level on the field. We were the better side during many periods of the match, and the players adhered to the plan and duties, but the result did not reflect the course of the match; rather, it was affected by factors that cannot be ignored.”

Shahid pointed to the most controversial moment, which was the retaking of Duhok's last penalty kick after Zakho's goalkeeper Ali Kazem saved it, leading the referee to go back to the video technology and have it retaken due to encroachment over the goal line.

The coach added:

“The moment everything changed was when the fifth penalty was retaken. That moment was enough to keep our hopes alive, but the decision changed the course of the final and left the team in a moral shock that affected the overall balance.”

Despite the bitterness of the loss, Abdulghani Shahid expressed pride in what his team presented this season, saying:

“Zakho showed the character of a champion team. Reaching the cup final with such strong performance is evidence of the great work done by the management, players, and technical staff, and we will not stop here. We will come back stronger and fight again to write history.”

Zakho's coach concluded his remarks by confirming that what happened in the final will not pass easily, and that the team's fans deserve an explanation for what transpired on the field, adding:

“What happened should open a wide discussion for justice in the upcoming competitions. The cup slipped from Zakho's hands for reasons unrelated to football.