Al-Zawraa secure Iraq Stars League move for Nigeria midfielder Essien Ededem

Nigeria midfielder Essien Ededem has begun a new chapter in Iraq by joining Al-Zawraa from Newroz SC on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old defensive midfielder completed the move on 28 August 2026, remaining in the Iraq Stars League after only a short spell with Newroz. Ededem had joined Newroz from fellow Iraqi side Erbil SC on 8 July, also as a free transfer, before making the latest switch within the competition.

Ededem brings experience from several leagues and clubs to Al-Zawraa. Before arriving in Iraq, he played for Kazakhstan’s Tobol Kostanay, joining the club from Russian side Pari NN in January 2024 in a €70,000 transfer. His time at Tobol produced the most notable honours of his career so far.

He was part of the Tobol side that won the Kazakh Super Cup in the 2023-24 season and later lifted the Kazakh Cup in 2024-25. Those successes came before his move to Erbil in January 2026, which began his run of transfers between Iraqi clubs.

The move to Al-Zawraa gives Ededem another opportunity to establish himself in the Iraq Stars League. He is a right-footed midfielder whose primary role is in defensive midfield, and he stands 1.80m tall.

Ededem began his senior career with Al-Nasr before moving to Al-Akhdar in August 2022. He then joined Pari NN in August 2023 on a free transfer, taking him to Kazakhstan several months later. His career also includes a loan spell with FC Van during the 2019-20 season.

At the time of his arrival at Al-Zawraa, Ededem was listed with a market value of €400,000. His new club is his third Iraqi side of 2026 after spells with Erbil and Newroz, while the move continues a career that has taken him through clubs in Iraq, Kazakhstan, Russia and Libya.

Ededem has now completed his free transfer from Newroz SC to Al-Zawraa.