Iraq's Jawiya defeats Benzema's Ittihad in Erbil
ERBIL, Kurdistan - Saudi League champion al-Ittihad, headed by French superstar footballer Karim Benzema on Monday lost to Iraq’s al-Quwa al-Jawiya in Erbil, in what was the former Balon d’Or winner’s first ever visit to the Kurdistan Region’s capital.
The two clubs faced off in the fourth fixture of the Asian Champions League in Erbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium. The Saudi champions won the first match in Jeddah last month.
Ittihad fielded a star-studded team, including the former Real Madrid striker and the 2018 world champion N’golo Kante.
Jawiya’s Ali Jassem scored the first goal towards the end of the first half, and Mohanad Abdulrahim added a second one in the second half, sealing the Eagles’ victory.
18,850 fans attended the match.
Monday’s win solidifies Jawiya’s position, currently standing second in its group after having accumulated seven points in four matches.
Benzema and his team arrived in Erbil on Saturday, where they were welcomed by Iraqi and Kurdish officials.
The team met with Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday.
The legendary Benzema, who is known by his nickname al-Hukuma (the government) among Middle Eastern football enthusiasts, played for European giant Real Madrid for 14 seasons and won five European Champions League titles with them. He also scored 353 goals for Madrid’s whites.
In October 2022, he was crowned best footballer in the world winning the Balon d’Or, awarded by France Football, after leading his team to Spanish and European gold.
The two clubs faced off in the fourth fixture of the Asian Champions League in Erbil’s Franso Hariri Stadium. The Saudi champions won the first match in Jeddah last month.
Ittihad fielded a star-studded team, including the former Real Madrid striker and the 2018 world champion N’golo Kante.
Jawiya’s Ali Jassem scored the first goal towards the end of the first half, and Mohanad Abdulrahim added a second one in the second half, sealing the Eagles’ victory.
18,850 fans attended the match.
Monday’s win solidifies Jawiya’s position, currently standing second in its group after having accumulated seven points in four matches.
Benzema and his team arrived in Erbil on Saturday, where they were welcomed by Iraqi and Kurdish officials.
The team met with Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday.
The legendary Benzema, who is known by his nickname al-Hukuma (the government) among Middle Eastern football enthusiasts, played for European giant Real Madrid for 14 seasons and won five European Champions League titles with them. He also scored 353 goals for Madrid’s whites.
In October 2022, he was crowned best footballer in the world winning the Balon d’Or, awarded by France Football, after leading his team to Spanish and European gold.