Zakho SC

Zakho Sport Club, also spelled as Zaxo Sport Club (Kurdish: یانا زاخو یا وه‌رزشی, Yana Zaxo ya Werzişî), is an Iraqi professional sports club based in Zakho, Iraqi Kurdistan.

Zakho (Zaxo)
Full nameZakho Sport Club
Nickname(s)Sons Of Khabour
Kurdish: Kurên Xabîrî
Arabic: أبناء الخابـور
Short nameZAK
Founded3 June 1987 (3 June 1987)
GroundZakho International Stadium
Delal Stadium
Capacity25,000
ChairmanAmmar Farhad Agha
CoachTalal Al-Bloushi
LeagueIraq Stars League
2022–23Iraqi Premier League, 14th of 20

History

Football in Zakho was played unofficially from the early 1920s with many local amateur games as well as school competitions regularly being held in Zakho or nearby districts. This eventually led to the formation of the first ever football team in Zakho in 1948. This was made up of local workers and young men.[1]

Beginnings

In 1986 the management team of the Zakho Youth Sporting Center which consisted of president Yousef Dawad Jabo as well as members: Ali Omran, Bashar Rahmallah, Khaled Hussein, Neshan Kerob, Khalat Ramadan and Khwaste Furman came up with the idea of starting Zakho Football Club to replace the Sporting Center or to be a part of it. According to the National Olympic Committee of Iraq one of the requirements for the creation of the club was that there was to be actual participation of the Sporting Center in sports competitions for at least one year before the club could be registered. So the sporting committee set up teams for different age groups and started competing in different Friendly Matches.[1]

Regional Championship

In 1986 Zakho competed in a regional tournament in Duhok under the name of Zakho Youth Center against Duhok Police, Duhok Youth Center, Duhok students and Duhok SC. Zakho went on to win the competition after defeating all the participants including Duhok FC on penalties. In addition to the regional tournament that the Sporting Center achieved, they also found success in other sports such as Basketball, Wrestling, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding which improved their establishment bid significantly. Finally on June 3, 1987 the club was officially registered.[1]

Debut season

Since the club's inception in 1987 the club did not participate in any competition mandated by the Iraqi FA until 1990 for various reasons. Eventually they participated in the 1990/91 Third Division where they were in the Northern Group alongside At-Ta'mim club, Serwan club, Alkarma and Qurqosh. Each team would play home and away where the winner would go to the final of the 3rd league - the winner of this would be promoted to the Second Division. Zakho would top the group with 15 points but the 1991 uprisings in Iraq led to the cancellation of the remainder of the Iraqi football calendar. Zakho fans everywhere were extremely upset.[1]

1991–92 season

The following season saw Zakho to return to sporting activities after head of the Olympic Committee Uday Hussein guaranteed not to interfere with any Northern Iraqi sportsmen. Zakho were once again in the Northern group after being drawn with Duhok SC, Qaraqosh, Al Karama and Tel Afar. Zakho topped the group after 5 wins and 3 draws and qualified to the final round.

In the final round Zakho were to play each of Samawa FC, The Neighborhood and Al Hillah. The format was each team to play each other in a single-legged tie. Zakho won the group with 7 points and were crowned Iraqi Third Division champions and qualified to the second division.[1]

New stadium

On June 3, 2015 Zakho FC celebrated the opening of their new stadium, known as Zakho International Stadium with an unofficial friendly against the Iraqi national team. The match was notable as Shwan Jalal made his Iraq debut and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory for Iraq. Despite this, the new stadium has been a success and the club's fans hope there will be bright times ahead for Zakho FC.[2]

Premier League

Zakho continued to compete in the Iraqi Premier League. In 2015-16 the club narrowly missed out on progression to the elite league, finishing 5th in their area group just one point behind the final elite league spot.[3]

Zakho now competes in the unified Iraqi Premier League which has eliminated the initial stages based on area for one league containing all clubs. Zakho finished 16th in the 2016-17 season having won twice and drawn 16 times during the seasons 32 games. Zakho lost the other 14 games.

Rivalries

Zakho SC's biggest rivals are their neighbours Duhok SC, with whom they contest the Bahdinan Derby. Also, the rivalry between Zakho SC and Erbil SC is known as the "Kurdish derby".[4]

Current squad

First-team squad

As of 3 September 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
31 GK Iraq IRQ Mustafa Zohair
95 GK Iraq IRQ Mohammed Saleh
1 GK Iraq IRQ Hassan Habib
5 DF Syria SYR Milad Hamad
32 DF Iraq IRQ Muntadher Abdulsada
DF Brazil BRA Lucao
2 DF Iraq IRQ Ali Mahdi
66 DF Iraq IRQ Mohammed Al-Baqer
53 DF Iraq IRQ Taqi Falah
4 DF Iraq IRQ Ali Hussein
33 DF Iraq IRQ Lucas Santos
6 DF Iraq IRQ Sameh Saeed
19 MF Iraq IRQ Hamid Haji
14 MF Iraq IRQ Shivan Jameel
29 MF Iraq IRQ Ramadhan Sediq
25 MF Iraq IRQ Ali Raheem
94 MF Brazil BRA Guttiner
10 MF Syria SYR Mohammed Zid Gharir
90 MF Syria SYR Mohamed Albarri
99 MF Iraq IRQ Sattar Yassin
11 FW Iraq IRQ Manar Taha
FW Iraq IRQ Bahooz Mohammed
17 FW Iraq IRQ Farhan Shakor
FW Brazil BRA Gustavo

Current technical staff

Position Name Nationality
Coach:Hamza HadiIraq
Assistant coach:Mustafa KaremIraq
Fitness coach:Mustafa JasmIraq
Goalkeeping coach:Nabil AwadKurdistan Region
Team manager:Naaman KocherIraq
Team supervisor:Shvan AbdiKurdistan Region
Club doctor:Makram HalabiLebanon
Reserve team coach:Khamis HumoudIraq
Reserve ass. coach:Nawzad AliKurdistan Region
U-19 Head coach:Hussein Abdullah Al-SamawiIraq
U-16 Manager:Bahdin AliKurdistan Region
U-13 Manager:Adnan KhairallahKurdistan Region
Director of football:Taha ZakholiIraq
Administrative Coordinator:Dr. Sherzad ZakariyaKurdistan Region
Director of public relations:Dilzhar AdnanKurdistan Region

Updated to match played 28 June 2020
Source: awajelpress.com

Former players

  • Netherlands Arian Sevok[5]

Managerial history

Honours

  • Iraqi 3rd Division
    • Winners (1) : 1991–92

Regional

  • Kurdistan Cup
    • Winners (2) : 2010–11, 2011–12
  • Kurdistan Super Cup
    • Winners (2) : 2010–11, 2011–12

References

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