Zakho's Gulf dream ended at the semi-final stage, after losing to Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab on penalties 4-3, following a 1-1 draw at the end of regular and extra time, in the match that took place between the two teams on Sunday evening at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan as part of the Gulf Clubs Champions League semi-final.

The first half of the match ended goalless amid great caution from both teams, as Zakho played with clear defensive discipline according to the instructions of their coach Ayoub Odisho, relying on closing spaces and playing on counterattacks. Al-Shabab dominated possession for most of the half.

In the 74th minute, Zakho's stands erupted in joy when Dabiti managed to capitalize on a quick counterattack to put his team ahead 1-0, bringing Zakho closer to a historic final. The Iraqi team held firm after the goal and closed their areas, almost securing a historic victory.

However, Al-Shabab refused to surrender and pressed with all their might in the final minutes. In the 92nd minute of added time, the referee awarded a penalty to the 'Lions', which Belgian Yannick Carrasco successfully converted into an equalizer 1-1, dashing Zakho's joy and resetting the match to square one.

The match went into extra time, which did not see any change in the score despite attempts from both sides, leading the teams to resort to penalties to decide the ticket to the final.

In the penalty shootout, Al-Shabab prevailed 4-3 after Zakho missed two penalties, allowing the Saudi team to snatch the qualification ticket to the final.

Al-Shabab will now await the winner of the match between Kuwait's Al-Qadsia and Qatar's Al-Rayyan to face them in the final.