Officially, Karbala Returns to the Iraqi Stars League

The Karbala Club has returned to the forefront of Iraqi football once again, after securing the promotion ticket to the Iraqi Stars League at the expense of Amanat Baghdad, with two consecutive wins in the playoff matches, home and away. This long-awaited return for the fans of 'Al-Omda Al-Karbalaei' comes after a season of absence and relegation.

The first match was held at the late Sharar Haider Stadium in the capital. The full 90 minutes witnessed great parity and a goalless draw, suggesting that the decision would be postponed to the return leg. But football only acknowledges the final moments. In the 91st minute, when everyone thought the match was heading for a draw, Ahmed Turki appeared in the dying moments and scored the only winning goal for Karbala 1-0. A goal that gave the team a significant psychological and moral advantage before the Karbala encounter.

The scenario of the first leg was almost repeated in the return leg, but this time on the grounds of the Karbala International Stadium and among its fans. The match was heading towards a goalless draw until Samad Qadri scored the second winning goal 1-0, replicating the first leg result and confirming his team's superiority in both legs. One goal was enough to ignite the stands and announce the official return.

With these two victories, Karbala charted its official return to the spotlight league, compensating for the disappointment of last season's relegation. In contrast, Amanat Baghdad fell to the Premier League after a stumbling journey that did not save them in the survival playoff.