2022–23 Iraqi First Division League

The 2022–23 Iraqi First Division League was the 49th 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 are promoted to the Iraq Stars League, while the bottom two teams in each group are directly relegated to the Iraqi Second Division League.^[1]

Iraqi First Division League

Season	2022–23
Dates	18 November 2022 – 2 June 2023
Champions	Al-Minaa (3rd title)
Promoted	Al-Minaa Amanat Baghdad
Relegated	Al-Hawija Al-Jinsiya Al-Samawa Al-Sulaikh
Matches played	243
Goals scored	518 (2.13 per match)
Top goalscorer	Mohammed Hassan (13 goals)
Biggest home win	Al-Minaa 5–0 Al-Sulaikh (27 April 2023)
Biggest away win	Masafi Al-Junoob 0–3 Amanat Baghdad (23 November 2022) Al-Nasiriya 0–3 Diyala (13 February 2023) Al-Hawija 1–4 Samarra (20 April 2023) Afak 0–3 Al-Minaa (21 April 2023) Al-Hawija 1–4 Maysan (1 May 2023) Masafi Al-Wasat 0–3 Al-Minaa (2 May 2023)
Highest scoring	Al-Difaa Al-Madani 4–4 Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya (1 March 2023)
Longest winning run	5 matches Al-Minaa Diyala
Longest unbeaten run	11 matches Al-Minaa
Longest winless run	8 matches Al-Hawija Al-Difaa Al-Madani
Longest losing run	5 matches Al-Hawija Al-Sulaikh
← 2021–22 2023–24 (Iraqi Premier Division League) →

In the last round of the league, in the Group 1, Amanat Baghdad was able to topped the group after achieving 38 points, while in the Group 2, Al-Minaa topped the group after achieving 46 points. Both teams were promoted to the Stars League,^[2][3] and it was decided that the final match between the two teams will be held in Baghdad on May 26, 2023 to determine the league champion.^[4][5] The Al-Minaa administration demanded that the match be transferred to Basra due to the large number of fans of the Al-Minaa, so that the match would be more attended,^[6] and the Amanat Baghdad administration agreed to that.^[7] Later, the Football Association decided that the match would be held on 2 June in Al-Fayhaa Stadium.^[8]

In the final, Al-Minaa was able to defeat Amanat Baghdad, 2–1, and win the title. The goals of Al-Minaa were scored by Sajjad Alaa (6') and Salem Ahmed (37'), while the goal of Amanat Baghdad was scored by Karrar Ali Bari (53').^[9][10]

Al-Jinsiya (who withdrew from the start) and Al-Hawija from Group 1, and Al-Sulaikh and Al-Samawa from Group 2 were relegated to the Iraqi Second Division League after finishing in the bottom positions in the standings.^[11]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:

To Iraqi First Division League Promoted from Iraqi Second Division League Al-Etisalat Al-Hawija Al-Jolan Masafi Al-Wasat Relegated from the Premier League Amanat Baghdad Al-Minaa Samarra

From Iraqi First Division League Promoted to the Premier League Al-Hudood Duhok Karbalaa Relegated to Iraqi Second Division League Al-Alam Babil Ghaz Al-Shamal Suq Al-Shuyukh

Overview

Changes

In November 2020, The Iraq FA announced that the number of teams will decrease from 28 to 24 in total starting from 2021-2022 season. To make these changes possible, the Iraq FA announced that in 2022–23 season, a two teams are promoted to the Premier League, where the winner and runner-up of each group will play a play-off match, so that the winners will be promoted directly to the Premier League, while 6 teams in total are directly relegated to Second Division League.^[12]

On April 8, 2023, the promotion and relegation mechanism was changed, and the Football Association announced the promotion of the winning team in each group directly to the Premier League, and the relegation of the last two teams in the standings in each group to the Second Division League, as a result, two teams are promote and 4 teams are relegate.^[13][14]

Developments

On December 27, 2022, the Iraq Football Association decided to stop the championship matches, starting from the ninth round, due to the holding of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq, and decided that the championship would resume after the end of the Arabian Gulf Cup.^[15][16] Indeed, the ninth round of the championship resumed on January 18, 2023.^[17]

Teams

A total of 24 teams are contesting the league, including 17 sides from the 2021–22 season and the 3 relegated sides from the Iraqi Premier League and the 4 promoted sides from the Iraqi Second Division League, because of the recent changes necessary to adjustment to having 24 teams possible this season. The teams were divided into two groups, and the draw was held on October 27, 2022,^[18][19] and it was decided that the championship will start on November 18, 2022.^[20]

2022–23 season

Baghdad

Basra

Al-Shirqat

Peshmerga Sulaymaniya

Diyala

Al-Ramadi

Al-Kufa

Afak

Maysan

Al-Nasiriya

Al-Samawa

Al-Jolan

Al-Hawija

Samarra

Baghdad teams
Al-Difaa Al-Madani
Al-Etisalat
Al-Hussein
Al-Jinsiya
Al-Muroor
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya
Al-Sulaikh
Amanat Baghdad
Masafi Al-Wasat

Basra teams
Al-Bahri
Al-Minaa
Masafi Al-Junoob

Locations of the 2022–23 Iraqi First Division League teams

Team	Manager	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Afak	Hussein Mohie	Al-Qādisiyyah	Al-Kifl Stadium	8,000
Al-Bahri	Ahmed Rahim	Basra (Al-Jubaila)	Al-Bahri Stadium	7,000
Al-Difaa Al-Madani	Adel Ajer	Baghdad (Al-Shaab)	Al-Taji Stadium	5,000
Al-Etisalat	Ahmed Hassan Abdul-Sahib	Baghdad (Al-Mansour)	Al-Taji Stadium	5,000
Al-Hawija	Ali Abboud	Kirkuk	Al-Hawija Stadium	5,000
Al-Hussein	Sahl Naeem	Baghdad (Sadr City)	Five Thousand Stadium	5,000
Al-Jinsiya (withdrew)	vacant	Baghdad (Al-Mashtal)	Al-Jinsiya Stadium	5,000
Al-Jolan	Mustafa Karim	Al-Anbar (Al-Fallujah)	Al-Fallujah Stadium	7,000
Al-Kufa	Maitham Jaber	Najaf	Najaf Stadium	12,000
Al-Minaa	Fareed Majeed	Basra (Al-Maqal)	Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium	30,000
Al-Muroor	Rashid Sultan	Baghdad (Sadr City)	Al-Walaa Stadium	5,000
Al-Nasiriya	Aqeel Mohammed	Dhi Qar	An Nasiriya Stadium	10,000
Al-Ramadi	Jumaa Jadeea	Al-Anbar (Al-Ramadi)	Al Ramadi Stadium	10,000
Al-Samawa	Ali Jawad	Muthanna	Al-Samawah Stadium	5,000
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	Mohammed Ali Karim	Baghdad (Al-Wazireya)	Al-Sinaa Stadium	10,000
Al-Shirqat	Farhan Hamad	Saladin (Al-Shirqat)	Al-Shirqat Stadium	5,000
Al-Sulaikh	Muthana Khalid	Baghdad (Al-Sulaikh)	Al-Sulaikh Stadium	5,000
Amanat Baghdad	Wissam Talib	Baghdad (Al-Nahdha)	Amanat Baghdad Stadium	5,000
Diyala	Sadeq Hanoon	Diyala	Diyala Stadium	10,000
Masafi Al-Junoob	Abdul Yemma Warwar	Basra (Shaibah)	Masafi Al-Junoob Stadium	5,000
Masafi Al-Wasat	Ali Majeed	Baghdad (Al-Dura)	Al-Masafi Stadium	5,000
Maysan	Mizher Rahim	Maysan	Maysan Stadium	25,000
Peshmerga Sulaymaniya	Qusay Hashim	Sulaymaniyah	Peshmerga Stadium	10,000
Samarra	Ali Wahab	Saladin (Samarra)	Samarra Stadium	10,000

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in the group	Incoming manager	Date of appointment
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	Safaa Adnan	Sacked	2 November 2022	Pre-season	Mudhafar Jabbar	2 November 2022
Al-Ramadi	Thair Jassam	Sacked	24 November 2022	11th	Mohammed Hammad	24 November 2022
Al-Samawa	Aqeel Ghani	Sacked	26 November 2022	10th	Haider Hussien	26 November 2022
Samarra	Nihad Ghazi	Sacked	2 December 2022	9th	Zahed Qasim	2 December 2022
Al-Nasiriya	Dhiaa Abdul-Nabi	Sacked	6 December 2022	12th	Mubarak Matar	6 December 2022
Masafi Al-Junoob	Nasser Talla Dahilan	Sacked	14 December 2022	11th	Abdul Yemma Warwar	14 December 2022
Al-Samawa	Haider Hussien	Sacked	15 December 2022	12th	Ali Jawad	19 December 2022
Al-Sulaikh	Hazem Saleh	Sacked	19 December 2022	11th	Muthana Khalid	2 January 2023
Al-Jolan	Ali Wahab	Sacked	26 December 2022	5th	Mustafa Karim	4 January 2023
Samarra	Zahed Qasim	Sacked	3 January 2023	11th	Ali Wahab	3 January 2023
Al-Nasiriya	Mubarak Matar	End of interim spell	12 January 2023	12th	Mohsin Abdul-Nabi	12 January 2023
Al-Hawija	Adel Khudhair	Sacked	21 January 2023	10th	Ali Abboud	21 January 2023
Afak	Haider Abbas	Sacked	22 January 2023	10th	Haider Hussein	22 January 2023
Al-Ramadi	Mohammed Hammad	Sacked	1 February 2023	5th	Sadeq Hanoon	1 February 2023
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	Mudhafar Jabbar	Mutual consent	11 February 2023	5th	Mohammed Ali Karim	11 February 2023
Al-Nasiriya	Mohsin Abdul-Nabi	Mutual consent	4 March 2023	11th	Aqeel Mohammed	8 March 2023
Afak	Haider Hussein	Sacked	13 March 2023	8th	Hussein Mohie	13 March 2023
Al-Ramadi	Sadeq Hanoon	Mutual consent	16 March 2023	7th	Jumaa Jadeea	17 March 2023
Al-Jolan	Mustafa Karim	Mutual consent	20 March 2023	1st	Hazem Saleh	20 March 2023
Al-Etisalat	Hamza Dawood	Mutual consent	30 March 2023	10th	Ahmed Hassan Abdul-Sahib	1 April 2023
Al-Jolan	Hazem Saleh	Mutual consent	1 April 2023	2nd	Mustafa Karim	1 April 2023
Diyala	Ali Abdullah	Sacked	1 April 2023	3rd	Sadeq Hanoon	2 April 2023
Al-Minaa	Basim Qasim	Sacked	20 May 2023	1st	Fareed Majeed	20 May 2023

League table

Group 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Amanat Baghdad (P)	20	11	5	4	26	9	+17	38	Promotion to the Iraq Stars League
2	Peshmerga Sulaymaniya	20	9	6	5	31	22	+9	33
3	Al-Ramadi	20	8	6	6	20	19	+1	30[a]
4	Maysan	20	9	3	8	26	23	+3	30[a]
5	Samarra	20	8	4	8	23	21	+2	28[b]
6	Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	20	6	10	4	27	24	+3	28[b]
7	Al-Bahri	20	7	6	7	22	20	+2	27
8	Al-Etisalat	20	7	4	9	18	23	−5	25
9	Masafi Al-Junoob	20	6	6	8	22	32	−10	24
10	Al-Difaa Al-Madani	20	5	8	7	20	22	−2	23
11	Al-Hawija (R)	20	3	4	13	20	40	−20	13	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
12	Al-Jinsiya[c] (R)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 2023. Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of wins; 6) number of goals scored.
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Al-Ramadi finished ahead of Maysan on head-to-head points: Al-Ramadi 2–0 Maysan, Maysan 1–0 Al-Ramadi.
2. Samarra finished ahead of Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya on head-to-head points: Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya 0–0 Samarra, Samarra 2–1 Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya.
3. Al-Jinsiya withdrew from the tournament.

Results

Home \ Away	BAH	DFM	ETI	HAW	JIN	RAM	SNK	AMB	MSJ	MAY	PES	SAM
Al-Bahri	—	1–0	0–1	4–1	—	0–0	1–1	2–1	3–0	1–1	2–3	3–1
Al-Difaa Al-Madani	1–1	—	3–0	2–1	—	2–0	4–4	0–0	1–1	0–1	2–1	1–1
Al-Etisalat	0–1	2–1	—	0–1	—	1–0	2–2	0–1	0–1	1–1	2–1	2–1
Al-Hawija	1–1	2–1	0–1	—	—	2–3	0–0	0–0	3–2	1–4	0–0	1–4
Al-Jinsiya[a]	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Al-Ramadi	1–0	2–0	0–0	2–1	—	—	2–1	0–0	2–2	2–0	3–1	2–1
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	1–0	1–1	2–1	2–1	—	0–0	—	2–0	0–1	2–1	2–2	0–0
Amanat Baghdad	2–0	0–0	2–1	3–0	—	1–0	2–1	—	3–0	3–0	0–0	2–0
Masafi Al-Junoob	0–1	0–0	2–1	3–2	—	1–1	2–2	0–3	—	2–2	2–1	2–0
Maysan	4–1	2–0	0–1	2–1	—	1–0	1–2	2–1	2–0	—	1–2	1–0
Peshmerga Sulaymaniya	1–0	2–0	1–1	5–2	—	3–0	1–1	1–0	2–1	2–0	—	1–1
Samarra	0–0	0–1	3–1	1–0	—	2–0	2–1	0–2	3–0[b]	1–0	2–1	—

Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 2023. Source: IFA official website
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:

1. Al-Jinsiya withdrew from the tournament.
2. The Samarra–Masafi Al-Junoob match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Samarra, as Masafi Al-Junoob involved an unregistered player for the team in the game,^[21] and the actual match score was a 1-1 draw.^[22]

Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Al-Minaa (C, P)	22	13	7	2	38	15	+23	46	Promotion to the Iraq Stars League
2	Diyala	22	13	6	3	25	11	+14	45
3	Al-Jolan	22	9	8	5	29	19	+10	35
4	Masafi Al-Wasat	22	9	7	6	17	15	+2	34
5	Al-Muroor	22	7	11	4	22	18	+4	32
6	Al-Kufa	22	6	10	6	22	19	+3	28
7	Afak	22	6	5	11	21	27	−6	23[a]
8	Al-Hussein	22	5	8	9	16	20	−4	23[a]
9	Al-Shirqat	22	5	8	9	21	29	−8	23[a]
10	Al-Nasiriya	22	5	7	10	17	31	−14	22
11	Al-Sulaikh (R)	22	4	8	10	19	31	−12	20	Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
12	Al-Samawa (R)	22	3	9	10	16	28	−12	18

Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2023. Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of wins; 6) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Afak finished ahead of Al-Hussein, and Al-Hussein finished ahead of Al-Shirqat, on head-to-head points: Afak 7, Al-Hussein 5, Al-Shirqat 4.

Results

Home \ Away	AFK	HUS	JOL	KUF	MIN	MUR	NAS	SMA	SRQ	SUL	DIY	MWT
Afak	—	0–0	2–1	1–0	0–3	1–2	3–0[a]	0–0	4–1	1–2	0–0	0–1
Al-Hussein	0–1	—	0–1	1–0	0–0	1–1	1–0	2–1	3–0[b]	2–0	0–0	1–2
Al-Jolan	2–0	2–2	—	1–1	0–0	3–0[c]	3–0	0–0	2–1	3–0	2–3	1–1
Al-Kufa	1–0	1–1	1–2	—	1–1	2–0	0–0	2–0	3–1	2–2	1–1	1–0
Al-Minaa	1–1	1–0	1–0	0–0	—	3–2	3–0	2–1	5–2	5–0	1–2	1–0
Al-Muroor	1–1	2–0	1–1	0–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–0	2–0	0–0
Al-Nasiriya	1–0	1–0	0–1	3–2	1–1	0–0	—	3–0	1–1	2–2	0–3	2–1
Al-Samawa	2–1	1–1	3–2[d]	1–2	0–2	0–0	1–1	—	1–1	0–0	1–0	0–1
Al-Shirqat	4–1	0–0	0–1	2–1	0–2	1–2	3–0	2–0	—	1–1	0–0	0–0
Al-Sulaikh	2–3	3–0	1–1	1–0	1–2	1–3	1–0	1–1	0–0	—	0–1	0–0
Diyala	2–1	2–1	0–0	0–0	3–0	1–0	3–1	2–1	0–1	1–0	—	1–0
Masafi Al-Wasat	1–0	2–1	2–0	1–1	0–3	0–0	1–0	2–1	0–0	2–1	0–1	—

Updated to match(es) played on 2 May 2023. Source: IFA official website
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:

1. The Afak–Al-Nasiriya match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Afak, as Al-Nasiriya fans rioted.^[23]
2. The Al-Hussein–Al-Shirqat match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Hussein, as Al-Shirqat involved an unregistered player for the team in the game,^[24] and the actual result of the match was a 1–2 victory for Al-Shirqat.^[25]
3. The Al-Jolan–Al-Muroor match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Jolan, as Al-Muroor withdraw from the game.^[26]
4. The Al-Samawa–Al-Jolan match was awarded as a 0–3 win to Al-Jolan, as Al-Samawa involved an unregistered player for the team in the game, and the actual result of the match was a 3–2 victory for Al-Samawa.^[21] However, the appeals committee later overturned the ruling, reinstating the actual result.^[27]

Final

Al-Minaa	2–1	Amanat Baghdad
Alaa 6' Ahmed 37'	Report	Bari 53'

2 June 2023

18:00 UTC+3

Al-Fayhaa Stadium, Basra

Referee: Mohannad Manaf

Al-Minaa

Amanat Baghdad

GK 22 Ali Faisal RB 30 Karrar Jumaa  72'  90+5' CB 42 Abdullah Mohsin (c)  71'  71' CB 33 Abbas Yas LB 36 Hassan Odah  78' CM 37 Haider Salem CM 15 Mohammed Khudhair CM 7 Ayad Abed Farhan  78' RF 12 Karrar Jaafar  45+4' CF 18 Salem Ahmed LF 26 Sajjad Alaa Substitutions: GK 1 Jaafar Shenaishil DF 17 Haider Sari  78' MF 28 Hamza Hadi Ahmed  78' MF 47 Mohammed Salah DF 55 Mohammed Abdul-Zahra  71' Manager: Fareed Majeed

GK 21 Sarhang Muhsin (c)  46' RB 4 Milad Falah  65' CB 44 Mohammed Musa  90+4' CB 14 Yousef Al-Alousi LB 13 Ayman Rezayej  65' CM 42 Babacar Charles Faye  46' CM 7 Sadia Olivier Bleu CM 9 Karrar Ali Bari RF 10 Jabbar Karim  46' CF 31 Oladayo Alabi LF 11 Muntadhar Rahim  46' Substitutions: MF 17 Mustafa Falah  46' GK 23 Munther Najem  46' FW 28 Mohammed Ahmed  46' DF 39 Ahmed Nadhim  65' MF 77 Nabeel Sabah  46' Manager: Wissam Talib

Match officials Assistant referees: Akram Ismail Ali Mazin Fourth official: Wamidh Mahmoud

Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shootout if scores still level. Maximum of five substitutions

Season statistics

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Mohammed Hassan	Maysan	13
2	Omar Attallah	Al-Shirqat	12
3	Salem Ahmed	Al-Minaa	11
4	Ismaël Mohamed	Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya	8
	Ali Karim	Diyala
6	Dioguinho	Al-Minaa	7
	Saleh Motlaq	Peshmerga Sulaymaniya
	Aba-Thar Abdul-Sada	Masafi Al-Wasat
9	Michael Ohanu	Al-Bahri	6
	Sajjad Alaa	Al-Minaa
	Mohammed Abbas	Peshmerga Sulaymaniya
	Donatus Edafe	Al-Jolan

Hat-tricks

Player	For	Against	Result	Date
Abdullah Ammar	Al-Difaa Al-Madani	Al-Etisalat	3–0 (H)	18 December 2022
Mohammed Hassan	Maysan	Al-Hawija	4–1 (A)	1 May 2023

Notes

(H) – Home team
(A) – Away team