The Tunisian Haitham Al-Jouini, the striker for Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, chose the most appropriate time to respond to all the criticisms directed at him since his move to the Falcons during the last summer transfer window, after leading his team to victory over their traditional rival Al-Zawraa with a clean two-goal win in the fourth round of the Iraqi Stars League 2025-2026.

Al-Jouini, who is 32 years old, moved to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya from Dibba Al-Hisn in the UAE, in a deal that stirred a lot of controversy in Iraqi sports circles at the time, as doubts were raised about his physical readiness and his recovery from an old cruciate ligament injury.

Before the start of the season, the resigned secretary of the interim administrative body at Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Bassam Raouf, made surprising statements confirming that the Tunisian striker was suffering from a cruciate ligament injury and that he was unaware of the details of the deal, which intensified the controversy surrounding his signing.

Sources from within Al-Zawraa revealed that the team was very close to signing the player before withdrawing from the deal due to those medical concerns, in addition to the high financial value of his contract, which amounted to about 400,000 US dollars, before Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya finalized the deal in their favor and officially signed the Tunisian striker.

Despite the numerous discussions and speculations, Al-Jouini preferred silence and to work away from the noise, as he adhered to the instructions of the coaching staff and began a journey to quickly regain his fitness, while the management of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya showed absolute confidence in his technical and physical capabilities, believing that the player would be a qualitative addition to the team's attack during the season.

The coach decided to gradually rely on him alongside his teammate Mohammed Jawad in the attack line, and as the rounds progressed, the harmony between the duo began to clearly show, especially in the classic match against Al-Zawraa, which was a real turning point for Al-Jouini's career in the Iraqi league.

The decisive moment came in the fourth round of the Iraqi Stars League when Al-Jouini managed to score his first goal wearing the Falcons' jersey against Al-Zawraa, granting his team a historic victory over their traditional rival and spreading joy in the stands of the International City Stadium amidst the chants of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya fans who sang his name long after the match ended.