The eyes of the Iraqi Stars League fans will turn tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, to the Maysan Olympic Stadium, where Naft Maysan Club will host its counterpart Al-Shorta at 5:00 PM, as part of the 31st round of the league.

Al-Shorta enters the match in second place with 63 points, after successfully turning a deficit against Al-Qasim into a 3-1 victory in the last round with goals from Munaf Younis, Lionel Atiba, and Sharif Abdul-Kadhim. The "Green Harp" temporarily reduced the gap with the league leader Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya to 7 points, after the latter stumbled with a 1-1 draw against Erbil.

Al-Shorta is going through a sensitive period on all levels. Technically, the team returned to winning ways after losing to Al-Zawraa, but the performance is still inconsistent, and the decisive moments are delayed until the last minutes as happened against Al-Qasim. Coach Moamen Suleiman confirmed in the last conference that injuries are hitting the team, and that frustration exists but only at the level of results, not performance.

Administratively, the future of Moamen Suleiman has become the talk of the sports street, with news of his potential departure at the end of the season and the administration preparing local alternatives, most notably Ahmed Salah. The title is the only criterion for continuity, so players are asked to give their best in the remaining eight rounds.

Al-Shorta has the strongest attack line in the league, relying on names like Mahmoud Al-Mawas, Bassam Shaker, and Lionel Atiba to settle the confrontation early. Winning tomorrow is necessary to maintain pressure on Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, and any stumble could mean officially handing over the shield to the Falcons.

On the other side, Naft Maysan is playing the match in a very difficult situation. The team is in 18th place with 26 points, only 9 points away from Najaf, which is in 19th and penultimate place with 17 points. The specter of relegation haunts the sons of Maysan, and every remaining match is considered a final.

Naft Maysan is struggling this season on all fronts, defensively and offensively, and has achieved only a few victories. The team seeks to come out with a positive result at the very least among its fans and at its Olympic stadium, to revive its hopes of staying. A draw against Al-Shorta will be considered a big gain, and a win would be a resounding surprise in the 31st round.

It is worth noting that the first-leg match between the two teams ended with a 2-1 victory for Al-Shorta, in a match that was difficult for the "Harp" despite the difference in capabilities. Naft Maysan played a great match at the time and was close to coming out with a point, which gives its players additional motivation tomorrow to restore pride and achieve a historic result.