Duhok Sports Club (, ) is an Iraqi professional sports club based in Duhok, Kurdistan Region. Founded in 1970, its football section competes in the Iraq Stars League. Duhok has won the Iraq Stars League and the Iraq FA Cup once each. Duhok became the first Iraqi club to participate in and win the GFF Gulf Club Champions League, having been crowned champions in the 2024–25 season.
Club history Duhok SC was founded by the youth of Duhok city when three teams joined together to establish the club on 14 December 1970. Duhok began its football journey in rural league competitions until the 1974–75 season, when the club decided to suspend its activities to support the post-nationalistic struggle to defend the rights of the Kurdish people in Iraq. In 1976, Duhok Football Team participated in the Iraqi Third Division, and by 1978, the team had moved up to the Iraqi Second Division. During the 1990–91 season, the team did not participate in the league due to a major uprising. The club resumed participation in the 1992–93 season in the Iraqi Fourth Division, earning promotion to the Third Division a year later. In the 1993–94 season, Duhok SC played in the Third Division and was once again promoted, this time to the Second Division.
During the 1980s, Duhok SC had several talented players, one of the most notable being Wahid Kovli. Around 1985, he emerged as a key striker for the team, known for his goal-scoring abilities and impact on the squad’s performance. His skills made him a feared forward in the league and a crucial player for Duhok SC.
The 1994–95 season was a defining moment for Duhok SC, as they claimed the Second Division title and secured a spot in the Iraqi First Division for the 1995–96 season. Duhok SC remained in the First Division throughout the 1996–97 season. In the 1997–98 season, Duhok SC secured promotion to the Iraqi Premier League by winning the First Division. Since then, the club spent many years in mid-table, occasionally challenging the top Iraqi teams. However, everything changed after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which brought new opportunities and freedom for Kurdish sports teams and athletes, allowing them to excel in both national and international competitions. During the 2009–10 season when they won their first-ever Iraqi Premier League championship, defeating Talaba SC 1–0 to claim the title. In the 2011–12 season, Duhok SC finished as runners-up, qualifying for the AFC Cup for the second time in its history. The first time Duhok SC played in the AFC Cup was in the 2010–11 season, where they reached the quarter-finals.
Stadium Duhok Stadium originally held 10,000 people, but after reconstruction it holds 25,000. It was built in 1992.
Rivalries Duhok FC identifies Zakho SC and Erbil SC as rivals. The matches between Duhok and Zakho are referred to as the "Badinan Derby".
Crest Duhok SC logo features the club's primary colors, yellow and blue. It depicts a hawk, symbolizing the club's nickname, "Mountains' Hawks" (صقور الجبال)(ئەلھۆیێن چیا). The logo also includes the letters "DSC" at the top, representing Duhok Sports Club, and displays the year of the club's founding at the bottom.
Kit history
Current squad
No. Pos. Nat. Player Notes Goalkeepers 1 GK San Mustafa 12 Ahmed Bashar 21 Zana Jawzal 22 Awad Azad 34 Kumel Al-Rekabe Defenders 2 DF Manaf Younis 3 Josef Al-Imam 13 Raykar 27 Bayar Abubakir Vice-Captain 99 Siyabend Ageed Captain Midfielders 5 MF Ahmed Alieé 8 Rewan Amin 10 Hady Saleh Karim 15 Sina Moridi 17 Hassan Emad 24 Karsan Doski 26 Mustafa Nawaf 35 Safaa Hadi 88 Sina Asadbeigi Forwards 7 FW Mahmoud Al-Mawas 9 Blnd Hassan 16 Zhiyar Ibrahim 18 Reda Majji 19 Younus Hammood 20 Mohammad Reza Soleimani 25 Aso Rostam 77 Igor Henrique
Technical staff
Position Name Nationality Head coach Yahya Golmohammadi Assistant coach Mohammad Asgari Assistant coach Mostafa Sedaghat
Club managers
Yahya Golmohammadi (present) Ahmed Khalaf (2026–2026; 2023–2024) Abdul-Ghani Shahad (2025–2026) Sérgio Farias (2025) Amir Azrafshan (2025) Sulaiman Ramadhan (2025; 2020–2023) Mesut Meral (2024–2025)
Thair Jassam (2015–2016) Basim Qasim (2014–2015; 2007–2011) Fajr Ibrahim (2013–2014) Jamal Ali (2012–2013) Ayman Hakeem (2011–2012) Akram Salman (2010–2011) Nadhim Shaker (2004–2005; 1996–1997) Namat Mahmoud Hamid Mahmoud Hussain Hassan Ameer Abdul-Aziz Rasan Bunian Hadi Mutansh Mohammed Tabra Natiq Hashim Faisal Aziz Shaker Mahmoud Kadhim Mutashar
Recent history Season Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P AFCCL AFCC FA CupNotes 2000–015301677442455 2001–0273819136613870 Round 1 2002–03—279711304034 Round 3 League abandoned 2003–04—7403106 2004–05 2nd round209652516 2005–06166641310 2006–07176651821 2007–08 4th place2414642213 2008–09 3rd place2719714811 2009–1014226887129 2010–11 1st round26124103628 Quarter-finals 2011–1223821134572176 2012–1353416108543558 Round of 16 Abandoned 2013–147237106303231 2014–15 2nd round226882228 2015–16 Relegated9216815Semi-finals From 2004, the competition changed from league system to various rounds including table and knockout rounds. From 2011, the competition went back to the single league system. From 2014, the competition returned to a system with various rounds.
Board positions PositionNameNationality Chairman Abdullah Jalal Secretary Jassim Mohammed Haji Director Khalid Mushir
Honours Type Competition Titles Seasons Domestic Iraq Stars League1 Iraq FA Cup1 2024–25 Iraqi Premier Division League (second tier)1 1997–98 Iraqi First Division League (third tier)1 1994–95 Domestic(regional) Kurdistan Premier League1 2006–07 International GFF Gulf Club Champions League1 2024–25
Performance in international competitions AFC Cup: 2 appearances 2011: Quarter-finals 2013: Round of 16 GFF Gulf Club Champions League: 1 appearance 2024–25: Winners
See also Football in Iraq Iraq Stars League
References
External links