Iraqi club Al-Zawraa has taken an official step by filing an appeal against the sanctions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation, following the abuse directed at Sadio Mané, the Al-Nassr striker, during the AFC Champions League match between the two teams.

Al-Zawraa management confirmed that the issued decisions were considered harsh from their perspective, noting that the club will use all available legal means to defend its position before the relevant committees of the Asian Football Confederation.

The sanctions came after the Asian Football Confederation opened an investigation into the incidents that occurred during the match, where offensive chants directed by some Al-Zawraa fans towards the Senegalese player Sadio Mané were documented.

The Asian Football Confederation had required the Iraqi club to pay a fine of $40,000 to the federation's account as part of the sanctions imposed following the review of the match reports.

The sanctions also included a decision to partially close 25% of the Al-Zawraa Stadium stands during its upcoming match against the Indian team Gokulam Kerala in the AFC Champions League 2.

Al-Zawraa hopes that the appeal will lead to the reduction or cancellation of the decisions, especially since the club believes that implementing a partial closure could affect its fan support in upcoming competitions.