The curtain fell on Al-Zawraa Club's journey in the AFC Champions League at the round of 16 stage, after losing to UAE's Al-Wasl with a score of 4-2 in the return leg held at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, thus bidding farewell to the tournament despite being very close to securing a qualification ticket.

Al-Zawraa entered the match with the advantage of a 3-2 victory in the first leg in Baghdad and managed to keep pace with Al-Wasl until the final minutes, as the 2-2 draw remained until the third minute of stoppage time, before the team conceded the third goal that led the match to extra time, where they received the fourth goal, officially ending their Asian adventure, and closing the chapter of Iraqi clubs' participation in continental championships this season after Al-Shorta also exited the AFC Champions League for the elite.

Ibrahim Tomio and Hassan Abdul Karim formed the most dangerous duo against Al-Wasl's defenses, especially the Nigerian striker who scored a brace that almost granted Al-Zawraa the qualification ticket.

But in the 75th minute, Tomio left the field, and the attacking effectiveness noticeably declined, before Hassan Abdul Karim also exited in the 82nd minute, causing the threat to completely vanish and the momentum to shift in favor of the Emirati team, who capitalized on the decisive moments and secured the result.

The final minutes are usually a test of mental stability, which the Al-Nawras failed to pass this time.

Retreating to defend the draw was not in the team's favor, as defensive harmony was absent and disarray was evident, leaving goalkeeper Jalal Hassan facing continuous offensive pressure that ended with conceding successive goals at a critical time, changing the course of the encounter entirely.

Al-Zawraa missed the services of defender Maytham Jabbar, who used to form a harmonious state with Abdullah Naseeb and Akam Hashim in previous matches.

Coach Imad Al-Nahas was planning to play with three central defenders, but the forced absence changed his plans, relying on Naseeb and Hashim as a duo in the center.

Despite the great performance presented by Abdullah Naseeb, the lack of complete harmony affected the defensive system, leaving the backline without sufficient solidity in crucial moments.

Al-Zawraa was close to writing a new chapter in its continental history, especially after its first-leg superiority in Baghdad with a score of 3-2, in a match that witnessed the Jordanian Amer Jamous scoring his first goal in the Al-Nawras jersey.