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

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.

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
1 GK Iraq IRQ Omran Zaki
2 - Iraq IRQ Mohammed Nomi
3 - Brazil BRA Patrick Marcelino
4 - Iraq IRQ Shivan Jameel
5 - Iraq IRQ Saif Alameen
6 - Iraq IRQ Aryan Jawher
7 - Brazil BRA Cleo Silva
8 - Iraq IRQ Younis Abd
9 FW Iraq IRQ Muhaiman Salim
10 - Brazil BRA Dion Ribas
11 MF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Sartip
12 GK Iraq IRQ Ali Kadhem
13 - Zambia ZAM Rodriguez Kabew
14 MF Iraq IRQ Amjad Attwan
15 - Iraq IRQ Hussein Menthor
16 MF Iraq IRQ Muntader Abdulameer
17 DF Iraq IRQ Yousif Raed Al-Alousi
19 - Iraq IRQ Hamid Haji
21 - Iraq IRQ Sipan Sediq
23 - Brazil BRA Moises Wolschick
25 - Oman OMA Abdula Alawi
27 - Iraq IRQ Zainulabdeen
28 GK Iraq IRQ Emad Eissa
29 FW Brazil BRA Gustavo Henrique
30 DF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Ibrahim
33 - Iraq IRQ Ahmed Nadhim
44 - Iraq IRQ Safin Pato
66 - Iraq IRQ Hangaw Syan
77 - Iraq IRQ Esoo Gardi
88 - Iraq IRQ Beyar Zaki

Current technical staff

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

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

Former players

  • Netherlands Arian Sevok[5]

Managerial history

Honours

League

  • Iraqi 3rd Division
    • Winners (1): 1991–92
  • Iraq Division One
    • Runners-up (3): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2018–19

Cup

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "نادي زاخو الرياضي ... ذكرى 29 عاما على التأسيس .. البداية". forum.kooora.com (in Arabic). June 3, 2016.
  2. "منتخب العراق يسجل فوزا في افتتاح ملعب زاخو". alghadpress.com (in Arabic). June 6, 2015.
  3. "مدرب زاخو العراقي: الحظ سرق منا بطاقة العبور للأدوار النهائية". kooora.com (in Arabic). April 10, 2016.
  4. "PM Barzani attends Erbil-Zakho football match". Kurdistan 24. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. "'Hij stopte en begon te schreeuwen: 'Denk je dat we hier bij Barcelona zijn?". voetbalzone.nl.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.