The Iraqi Premier League match between Al-Kahrabaa and their guests Al-Qassim, scheduled for Tuesday in the eighth round of the competition, was suspended 18 minutes after kickoff due to a shortage of players on the visiting side, whose number dropped to just six.
Referee Mohammed Salah waited five minutes in an attempt to resolve the situation before confirming the decision to end the match, after Al-Qassim lost two players—one due to injury and another who left the field immediately afterward. Al-Qassim had started the match with only a goalkeeper and seven outfield players, as the rest of the squad reportedly refused to travel with the team after not receiving their financial dues for months, according to local media reports.
Although the official team list submitted for the match was complete and included both starting players and substitutes, Al-Qassim entered Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad with a starting lineup short of three players and without any substitutes on the bench.
The Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted that “the referee ended the match between Al-Qassim and Al-Kahrabaa on Tuesday after a player from Al-Qassim was injured and no substitute was available, within the Iraqi Stars League.”
It added that “the referee decided to end the match following the injury of an Al-Qassim player and the absence of a replacement, as the team participated with only eight players in protest over delays in paying their financial entitlements, within the Iraqi Stars League.”
Meanwhile, the Iraqi League Association’s website briefly stated that the match between Al-Kahrabaa and Al-Qassim had ended due to ineligibility.
At the time the match was stopped, Al-Kahrabaa were leading 2–0.
A similar incident occurred two seasons ago when Al-Minaa withdrew from their match against Al-Shorta due to a shortage of players, as they were left with only six outfield players and a goalkeeper and were unable to complete the game.
