Basra: Al-Minaa secured a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Zakho in their match held Thursday evening at Al-Fayhaa Stadium in Basra, as part of the second round of the Iraqi Stars League. Al-Minaa started the match aggressively, capitalizing on home advantage and the support of their fans. They threatened Zakho’s goal on several occasions, but their players squandered a number of clear-cut chances. Zakho responded with a series of attacks, but Al-Minaa’s solid defense, led by captain Saad Natiq, prevented any real danger.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in the 38th minute, Al-Minaa opened the scoring through Yassin Samia with a well-placed header. However, Zakho managed to equalize in the 47th minute through Oronio, ending the first half in a 1-1 draw after an exciting and closely contested first half.

The second half began strongly for Zakho, with Oronio unleashing a surprise shot that Al-Minaa’s goalkeeper, Abdul Salim, brilliantly saved. Al-Minaa launched a series of dangerous attacks on Zakho’s goal, the most notable being Yassin Samia’s shot in the 56th minute, which went over the crossbar. Both teams continued their efforts, but the score remained unchanged.

Then, in the 79th minute, a well-coordinated attack saw professional player Brando score Al-Minaa’s second goal, igniting the Al-Minaa fans. The match ended 2-1 in an exciting encounter where Al-Minaa displayed a high level of play. With this result, Al-Minaa’s points tally rose to four, while Zakho remained on two points.