Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — Matchday 3 of the Iraq Stars League concluded on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, featuring clinical 1–0 victories for Erbil SC and reigning contenders Al-Shorta SC, while Zakho SC and Diyala SC played out an entertaining 2–2 draw.
Matchday 3 Results & Goal Breakdown
Erbil SC 1 – 0 Al-Karkh SC
Goal: Ibrahim Bayesh (4′)
Match Summary: Erbil secured an early advantage when Iraqi international winger Ibrahim Bayesh found the back of the net in the 4th minute. Erbil managed game tempo effectively across the remaining 86 minutes to secure all three points and a clean sheet against a persistent Al-Karkh side.
Al-Shorta SC 1 – 0 Al-Golan SC
Goal: Leonel Ateba (40′)
Match Summary: Al-Shorta continued their steady league form with a disciplined 1–0 triumph over Al-Golan. Cameroonian forward Leonel Ateba broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval, netting the decisive winner in the 40th minute.
Zakho SC 2 – 2 Diyala SC
Zakho Goals: Sifiso Mphule (40′), Sherko Karim (67′)
Diyala Goals: Naseem Sahyoud (45+2′), Salem Ahmed (86′)
Match Summary: A back-and-forth contest in Zakho ended level. Sifiso Mphule opened the scoring for the hosts in the 40th minute, only for Naseem Sahyoud to equalize for Diyala in first-half stoppage time (45+2′). Iraq national team striker Sherko Karim restored Zakho’s lead in the 67th minute, but a late strike by Salem Ahmed in the 86th minute salvaged a valuable away point for Diyala.
Round 3 Fixture Summary
FixtureFinal ScoreKey GoalscorersErbil vs. Al-Karkh1 – 0Ibrahim Bayesh (4′)Al-Shorta vs. Al-Golan1 – 0Leonel Ateba (40′)Zakho vs. Diyala2 – 2Sifiso Mphule (40′), Sherko Karim (67′) / Naseem Sahyoud (45+2′), Salem Ahmed (86′)