Erbil FC, currently third in the Iraqi Stars League, secured a 2-0 victory against host team Naft in a match held at 'Captain Sherar Hidar' stadium in Baghdad, as part of the 28th round of the competition. Erbil's goals were scored by Marlin Shabanov in the 45+2 minute and Kian Lakhman in the 90+7 minute. With this win, Erbil's points total increased to 56, reclaiming the third spot from Al-Shorta, while Naft's points remained frozen at 37, dropping them to 11th place. In another match, Graf dealt a heavy blow to host team Qasim by defeating them 5-1 at the 'Najaf International' stadium in Najaf province. Graf's victory was anticipated due to Qasim's difficult situation, but the large margin of defeat was unexpected. The first half ended with Graf leading 2-1, with goals from Felix Kokko and Ahmed Al-Hadri in the 30th and 40th minutes, respectively; Qasim's sole goal was scored by Abdullah Basim in the 6th minute. In the second half, Graf added three more goals through Muqtada Saad, Felix Kokco, and Brand Azad in the 69th, 78th, and 87th minutes. This victory raised Graf's total to 36 points, moving them up to 12th place, while Qasim remains last with just one point, getting closer to relegation to the Premier League next season after being a 'big obstacle' for all league teams, including the popular ones, last season.
