2011–12 Iraqi First Division League

The 2011–12 Iraqi First Division League was the 38th season of what is now called the Iraqi Premier Division League, the second tier of the Iraqi football league system, since its establishment in 1974. The number of clubs in the league have varied throughout history for various reasons. The top two teams in Final round (winner of each group) are promoted to the Iraqi Premier League.

Iraqi First Division League

Season	2011–12
Dates	22 January 2012 – 15 August 2012
Champions	Sulaymaniya (1st title)
Promoted	Sulaymaniya Naft Al-Janoob
Matches played	794
Goals scored	892 (1.12 per match)
← 2010–11 2012–13 →

The season began on Sunday 22 January 2012. In the final round, Naft Al-Janoob won the group 1 after facing Al-Mosul, while Sulaymaniya won the group 2 after facing Naft Maysan. Both teams were promoted to the Premier League, and qualified for the final match during which the champion is determined.^[1] The final match was scheduled for August 14, 2012 at Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad.^[2]

In the final match, Sulaymaniya managed to defeat Naft Al-Janoob 2–1 and win the First Division League title.^[3]

First round

Group 1 (Northern)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Mosul (Q)	12	8	1	3	19	10	+9	25	Qualification to the Second round
2	Sulaymaniya (Q)	12	5	4	3	17	12	+5	19
3	Ghaz Al-Shamal (Q)	12	5	4	3	12	9	+3	19
4	Peshmerga Sulaymaniya	12	6	1	5	11	15	−4	19
5	Tuz (R)	12	4	3	5	13	12	+1	15	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
6	Salahaddin (R)	12	3	3	6	9	12	−3	12
7	Al-Thawra (R)	12	2	2	8	11	22	−11	8

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Group 2 (Western and Northeast)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Samarra (Q)	13	9	1	3	20	9	+11	28	Qualification to the Second round
2	Al-Anbar (Q)	13	7	2	4	18	12	+6	23
3	Al-Ramadi (Q)	13	6	4	3	18	11	+7	22
4	Diyala	13	6	4	3	18	11	+7	22
5	Umal Nineveh	13	4	4	5	17	20	−3	16
6	Jalawla (R)	13	3	2	8	14	24	−10	11	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
7	Nineveh (R)	7	1	5	1	7	6	+1	8
8	Al-Falluja (R)	13	1	2	10	7	26	−19	5

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Group 3 (Baghdad)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Al-Jaish (Q)	22	10	9	3	27	17	+10	39	Qualification to the Second round
2	Abu Ghraib (Q)	22	10	8	4	22	16	+6	38
3	Al-Khutoot (Q)	22	9	9	4	26	19	+7	36
4	Al Najda	22	8	10	4	26	20	+6	34
5	Al Kadhimiya	22	8	8	6	31	28	+3	32
6	Al Adalah	22	7	8	7	35	36	−1	29
7	Al-Sinaat	22	6	10	6	17	14	+3	28
8	Biladi (R)	22	6	10	6	23	26	−3	28	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
9	Bareed (R)	22	6	7	9	24	26	−2	25
10	Al-Hussein (R)	22	6	5	11	23	28	−5	23
11	Al-Shuala (R)	22	4	10	8	18	26	−8	22
12	Al-Sulaikh (R)	22	2	6	14	10	26	−16	12

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Group 4 (Middle Euphrates)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Al-Samawa (Q)	18	9	7	2	31	13	+18	34	Qualification to the Second round
2	Al-Hindiya (Q)	18	10	4	4	22	14	+8	34
3	Naft Al-Wasat (Q)	18	8	6	4	18	12	+6	30
4	Al-Kufa	18	8	5	5	20	13	+7	29
5	Al-Diwaniya	18	7	5	6	11	14	−3	26
6	Al Madhatyia	18	6	7	5	15	18	−3	25
7	Babil	18	5	6	7	15	16	−1	21
8	Al-Ettifaq (R)	18	6	2	10	17	23	−6	20	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
9	Al-Rawdhatain (R)	18	3	4	11	15	25	−10	14[a]
10	Al-Sadda (R)	18	2	6	10	7	23	−16	12

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. 1 bonus point?

Group 5 (Southern)

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Naft Al-Janoob (Q)	18	15	2	1	54	9	+45	47	Qualification to the Second round
2	Naft Maysan (Q)	18	11	4	3	32	14	+18	37
3	Masafi Al-Janoob (Q)	18	8	7	3	26	14	+12	31
4	Al-Amara	18	7	6	5	21	21	0	27
5	Al-Nasiriya	18	7	3	8	24	23	+1	24
6	Al-Bahri	18	7	3	8	33	35	−2	24
7	Maysan (R)	18	5	5	8	15	20	−5	20	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
8	Al-Hay (R)	18	5	5	8	19	27	−8	20
9	Al-Nahrain (R)	18	5	2	11	16	36	−20	17
10	Al-Qurna (R)	18	1	1	16	5	46	−41	4

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Second round

Group 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Sulaymaniya (Q)	8	5	1	2	19	15	+4	16	Qualification to the Final round
2	Al-Mosul (Q)	8	4	2	2	15	7	+8	14
3	Samarra	8	4	2	2	8	7	+1	14
4	Ghaz Al-Shamal	8	1	4	3	14	16	−2	7
5	Al-Anbar	8	1	1	6	11	22	−11	4

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Naft Al-Janoob (Q)	8	7	1	0	20	6	+14	22	Qualification to the Final round
2	Naft Maysan (Q)	8	5	0	3	18	10	+8	15
3	Naft Al-Wasat	8	4	0	4	11	11	0	12
4	Al-Samawa	8	2	2	4	6	12	−6	8
5	Masafi Al-Janoob	8	0	1	7	5	21	−16	1

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Group 3

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Al-Jaish (Q)	7	4	1	2	12	3	+9	13	Qualification to the Final round
2	Al-Ramadi (Q)	7	4	1	2	13	9	+4	13
3	Al-Hindiya	7	4	1	2	9	9	0	13
4	Al-Khutoot	7	1	1	5	6	17	−11	4
5	Abu Ghraib	4	1	0	3	3	5	−2	3

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Final round

Group 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Naft Al-Janoob (P)	2	1	1	0	4	3	+1	4	Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League
2	Al-Jaish	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3
3	Mosul	2	0	1	1	2	3	−1	1

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(P) Promoted

Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sulaymaniya (C, P)	2	1	1	0	3	2	+1	4	Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League
2	Naft Maysan	2	1	0	1	8	1	+7	3
3	Al-Ramadi	2	0	1	1	2	10	−8	1

Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Final match

15 August 2012

Sulaymaniya	2–1	Naft Al-Janoob

Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad