South African midfielder Sipho Mbule was awarded the Man of the Match accolade on debut as Zakho SC narrowly beat 1-0 Ghaz Al-Shamal SC in the Iraq Stars League.
The win moved Zakho into third position on the log behind leaders Al Naft SC & second-placed Diyala SC on the same number of points.
Mbule, 28, was unveiled as the latest signing by Zakho in June 2026 after being released by Orlando Pirates who opted against renewing his contract for a further year.
The former SuperSport United academy player joined the Buccaneers after his exit from Sekhukhune United and was part of the team that won the first Betway Premiership title in 14 years, the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout Cup.
He made 23 appearances in his sole campaign at Pirates, mostly in the first half of the campaign when he even returned to the Bafana Bafana squad.
However, he struggled to replicate the form and game-time in the second half of the campaign, leading to the Buccaneers announcing his exit.
Having gotten off to a great start in Iraq, Mbule will be hoping to rediscover his form and work his way back into the Bafana fold.
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