Za'ho and Diyala shared the points in the Iraqi League on Monday, with the final score reading 2-2 after a match where one side controlled possession but the other took their chances. Za'ho took the lead through S. Mbule in the fortieth minute before N. Sioud equalised for Diyala just before half-time.
The hosts regained their advantage when S. Karim scored in the sixty-seventh minute, and here's the thing — Diyala responded quickly through S. Ahmed in the eighty-sixth to salvage a point. Za'ho had seen off two defeats in their opening three matches before this draw brought them level on points with their visitors.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Za'ho held 63 per cent possession and registered 21 shots to Diyala's 12, yet only converted nine attempts on target into two goals. Diyala were more efficient with three shots on target, scoring twice, and their attacking count of 68 compared to 95 for the hosts shows how they approached this match.
By then, the table positions mattered less than the immediate context. Diyala sat eighth with five points from four games, while Za'ho remained fifteenth with four. The visitors had shown resilience after their opening defeat to Mogul, and this result kept them in touch with the teams above them.
Both sides had picked up one yellow card each, and the corner count reflected the pattern — Za'ho worked four corners against Diyala's one. The match ended with neither side able to claim victory despite the hosts' clear superiority in most statistical categories.