Duhok SC

Duhok SC

Full name	Duhok Sports Club
Nickname	Mountain Hawks صقور الجبال ئەلھۆیێن چیا
Founded	1970 (1970)
Ground	Duhok Stadium
Capacity	22,800
Chairman	Abdullah Jalal Mustafa Duhoki
Manager	Abdul-Ghani Shahad
League	Iraq Stars League
2024–25	Iraq Stars League, 7th of 20
Website	duhoksc.com
Home colours Away colours

Duhok Sports Club (Kurdish: Yana Dihok ya Werzişî, Arabic: نادي دهوك الرياضي) 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 and win the AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League, having been crowned champions in the 2024–25 season.

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 last time Duhok SC played in the AFC Cup was in the 2010–11 season, where they reached the quarter-finals.

Duhok Stadium originally held 10,000 people, but after reconstruction it holds 25,000. It was built in 1992.

Duhok FC identifies Zakho SC and Erbil SC as rivals. The matches between Duhok and Zakho are referred to as the "Badinan Derby".

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.

Early kit worn during 1970s

Kit from 1979

First use of yellow in 1980

Green strip 1991

Kit from 2000s

First AFC Cup kit

Kits from 2022 and 2023

As of 18 April 2026

No.	Pos.	Player	Nationality	Notes
31	GK	Ali Yaseen
12	GK	Ahmed Bashar
33	GK	Zana Jawzal
3	CB	Josef Al-Imam
14	CB	Khadim Rassoul
4	CB	Saad Natiq
44	CB	Hamoud Mashaan
6	LB	Sadiq Jamal
70	LB	Khaled Kourdoghli
99	RB	Siyaband Ageed		Vice-captain / نائب القائد / جێگرێ کاپتن
27	RB	Bayar Abubakir
15	RB	Rasol Fadl
35	DM	Safaa Hadi
	CM	Zana Allée
10	CM	Haron Ahmed		Captain / القائد / کاپتن
18	CM	Ahmad Allée
8	SS	Karim Darwiche
7	RW	Peter Gwargis
19	RW	André Al-Sanati
47	RW	Yasin Ben El-Mhanni
45	LW	Rabia Al-Alawi
17	LW	Hassan Emad
26	LW	Mustafa Nawaf
77	CF	Youssef BenSouda
11	CF	Pashang Abdulla
16	CF	Zhiyar Ibrahim

Position	Name	Nationality
Head coach	Ahmed Khalaf
Assistant coach	Saad Abdulhamid	Iraq
Analyst	Kaheen Fatah

• 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.

Position	Name	Nationality
Chairman	Abdullah Jalal
Secretary	Jassim Mohammed Haji
Director	Khalid Mushir

• AFC Cup: 2 appearances

2011: Quarter-finals

2013: Round of 16

• AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League: 1 appearance

2024–25: Winners