Iraqi First Division League
Season2020–21
Dates3 May 2021 – 16 July 2021
ChampionsAl-Sinaa
(1st title)
PromotedAl-Sinaa
Newroz
Samarra
RelegatedAkkad
Al-Ettifaq
Al-Jaish
Brayati
Matches played184
Goals scored469 (2.55 per match)
Top goalscorerSamer Mohsin
(12 goals)
Biggest home winBabil 5–0 Al-Ettifaq
(8 June 2021)
Biggest away winSuq Al-Shuyukh 1–4 Masafi Al-Janoob
(2 June 2021)
Highest scoringDiyala 4–3 Al-Ramadi
(4 March 2021)
Al-Muroor 3–4 Samarra
(4 March 2021)
Longest winning run6 matches
Al-Sinaa
Longest unbeaten run14 matches
Al-Sinaa
Longest winless run12 matches
Akkad
Maysan
Longest losing run9 matches
Brayati
← 2019–20
All statistics correct as of 30 July 2021.

The 2020–21 Iraqi First Division League was the 47th 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 changed throughout history due to several factors, most recently in this season when the number of clubs increased from 12 to 28 in total. The top team from each group is directly promoted to the Premier League, while a third club can be promoted through play-offs, on the other hand, two clubs from each group are directly relegated to the Second Division League.[1]

Al-Sinaa won the title and were promoted alongside runners-up Newroz.

Format

Teams from all over Iraq participated in preliminary qualifications for the final stage. Total of 16 teams qualified for the final stage and 12 teams joined from previous season.[2]

There was no First Division League nor Premier League season completed in the prior year due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Teams

Stadiums and locations

A total of 28 teams are contesting the league, including 10 sides from the 2018-2019 season, 16 promoted teams from the preliminary qualifications for the final stage and the two relegated sides from the Premier League.[3]

Team Manager Location Stadium Capacity
Afak Iraq Haider Hussein Al-Qādisiyyah (Diwaniya) Al-Kifl Stadium 10,000
Akkad Iraq Bassim Obaid Dhi Qar (Al-Shatrah) Al Shatrah Stadium 7,500
Al-Alam Iraq Ali Jawad Saladin Al-Alam Stadium 10,000
Al-Bahri Iraq Asaad Abdul Razzaq Basra (Al-Jubaila) Al-Bahri Stadium 7,000
Al-Difaa Al-Madani Iraq Mahdi Kadhim Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Ettifaq Iraq Abdul Zahra Odeh Al-Qādisiyyah (Diwaniya) Al-Diwaniya Stadium 5,000
Al-Hussein Iraq Kadhim Yousef Baghdad (Sadr City) Five Thousand Stadium 5,000
Al-Jaish Iraq Maher Ohkla Baghdad Al-Jaish Stadium 6,000
Al-Jinsiya Iraq Karim Qumbil Baghdad Al-Jinsiya Stadium 5,000
Al-Kufa Iraq Adel Ali Al-Aasam Najaf (Kufa) Najaf Stadium 30,000
Al-Muroor Iraq Adel Ajer Baghdad (Sadr City) Al-Walaa Stadium 5,000
Al-Nasiriya Iraq Ali Wahaib Dhi Qar (Nasiriya) An Nasiriya Stadium 10,000
Al-Ramadi Iraq Khamis Hammoud Anbar (Ramadi) Al Ramadi Stadium 15,000
Al-Shirqat Iraq Mohammed Attiya Saladin (Shirqat) Shirqat Stadium 5,000
Al-Sinaa Iraq Sadeq Hanoon Baghdad (Sadr City) Al-Sinaa Stadium 5,000
Al-Sulaikh Iraq Rashid Sultan Baghdad (Suleikh) Al Sulaikh Stadium 5,000
Babil Iraq Fouad Jawad Babil Al Kifl Stadium 10,000
Brayati Iraq Mahmoud Majeed Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium 25,000
Diyala Iraq Ali Abdullah Diyala (Baquba) Ba'quba Stadium 10,000
Duhok Iraq Adel Nasser Duhok Duhok Stadium 20,000
Ghaz Al-Shamal Iraq Walid Mohammed Qader Kirkuk Kirkuk Olympic Stadium 20,000
Karbalaa Iraq Ali Wahab Karbala Karbala Sports City 30,000
Masafi Al-Janoob Iraq Nasser Talla Dahilan Basra (Shaibah) Masafi Al-Janoob Stadium 5,000
Maysan Iraq Ahmed Zuhair Maysan Maysan Stadium 25,000
Newroz Iraq Wali Karim Sulaymaniyah Zanko Stadium 15,000
Peshmerga Iraq Arsalan Jalal Sulaymaniyah Peshmerga Stadium 10,000
Samarra Iraq Ahmed Kadhim Saladin (Samarra) Samarra Stadium 10,000
Suq Al-Shuyukh Iraq Moayad Tomeh Dhi Qar (Suq Al-Shuyukh) Souk Al-Shuyukh Stadium 5,000

League table

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Newroz (P) 13 9 3 1 27 11 +16 30 Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League
2 Afak 13 8 5 0 26 13 +13 29 Qualification for the Third-place play-off
3 Masafi Al-Janoob 13 7 4 2 27 17 +10 25
4 Al-Difaa Al-Madani 13 4 8 1 15 10 +5 20
5 Al-Shirqat 13 5 4 4 15 12 +3 19
6 Karbalaa 13 4 7 2 12 13 −1 19
7 Al-Alam 13 4 6 3 17 17 0 18
8 Al-Hussein 13 3 6 4 17 19 −2 15
9 Suq Al-Shuyukh 13 4 3 6 12 19 −7 15
10 Al-Kufa 13 2 6 5 15 19 −4 12
11 Ghaz Al-Shamal 13 3 3 7 13 18 −5 12
12 Al-Jinsiya 13 2 5 6 11 15 −4 11
13 Al-Jaish (R) 13 2 4 7 12 20 −8 10 Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
14 Brayati (R) 13 2 0 11 13 29 −16 6
Updated to match(es) played on 28 July 2021. Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away AFK ALM DFM HUS JSH JIN KUF SRQ BRA GSH KRB MSJ NEW SUQ
Afak — — 1–1 4–2 — 1–1 3–1 — 4–1 3–2 — — 2–0 —
Al-Alam 1–1 — — — — — — 0–0 — 1–3 0–0 1–3 — 0–0
Al-Difaa Al-Madani — 2–3 — — — — — 1–0 2–1 1–1 0–0 — 1–1 3–0
Al-Hussein — 2–2 0–0 — — 1–1 — 2–0 — 1–2 — — 2–2 0–1
Al-Jaish 0–1 0–2 0–0 2–2 — 0–2 1–1 — 3–1 — — — — —
Al-Jinsiya — 1–3 0–0 — — — — 1–1 — — 0–1 1–2 0–1 —
Al-Kufa — 0–0 3–3 1–2 — 1–2 — — — 1–0 — — 2–2 —
Al-Shirqat 2–3 — — — 1–0 — 1–0 — 4–1 — 3–0 1–1 — 1–1
Brayati — 2–3 — 0–1 — 2–1 1–2 — — 0–1 — — 1–3 —
Ghaz Al-Shamal — — — — 2–4 1–1 — 0–1 — — 0–0 1–3 0–1 0–1
Karbalaa 1–1 — — 1–1 1–1 — 1–0 — 2–1 — — 2–2 — 3–2
Masafi Al-Janoob 0–0 — 0–1 3–1 2–1 — 2–2 — 3–1 — — — — —
Newroz — 3–1 — — 2–0 — — 2–0 — — 2–0 4–2 — 4–0
Suq Al-Shuyukh 1–2 — — — 3–0 1–0 1–1 — 0–1 — — 1–4 — —
Updated to match(es) played on 3 July 2021. Source: IFA official website
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Sinaa (C, P) 13 11 2 0 24 8 +16 35 Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League
2 Samaraa (O, P) 13 8 3 2 27 17 +10 27 Qualification for the Third-place play-off
3 Al-Ramadi 13 8 1 4 24 14 +10 25
4 Duhok 13 8 1 4 17 13 +4 25
5 Al-Bahri 13 6 2 5 17 12 +5 20
6 Al-Muroor 13 4 5 4 17 17 0 17
7 Al-Nasiriya 13 4 5 4 14 15 −1 17
8 Al-Sulaikh 13 3 6 4 13 14 −1 15
9 Peshmerga 13 3 6 4 14 18 −4 15
10 Diyala 13 3 5 5 21 23 −2 14
11 Babil 13 2 4 7 14 16 −2 10
12 Maysan 13 1 7 5 9 19 −10 10
13 Akkad (R) 13 1 5 7 13 22 −9 8 Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League
14 Al-Ettefaq (R) 13 1 4 8 11 27 −16 7
Updated to match(es) played on 28 July 2021. Source: IFA official website
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away AKD BAH ETF MUR NAS RAM SIN SUL BAB DIY DUH MAY PES SAM
Akkad — 1–3 0–0 1–2 2–0 0–2 — — — — 0–1 — — 2–4
Al-Bahri — — — — 1–1 — 0–1 1–2 1–0 — 1–2 2–1 3–0[lower-alpha 1] —
Al-Ettefaq — 1–2 — — — — 1–3 1–1 — 2–4 0–1 1–1 — —
Al-Muroor — 1–1 4–2 — 1–1 2–2 0–1 — 1–0 — — — — 3–4
Al-Nasiriya — — 0–1 — — 1–0 1–2 — 1–1 — 2–1 — — 0–2
Al-Ramadi — 1–0 2–1 — — — 1–2 3–1 1–0 — 4–0 — 2–0 —
Al-Sinaa 2–2 — — — — — — 2–1 — 2–1 1–0 4–0 3–1 —
Al-Sulaikh 2–0 — — 0–1 1–1 — — — — 2–2 — 0–0 1–1 0–0
Babil 1–1 — 5–0 — — — 0–1 1–2 — 2–1 — 1–1 1–2 —
Diyala 2–2 0–2 — 2–1 1–2 4–3 — — — — — — — 1–2
Duhok — — — 2–0 — — — 1–0 2–0 2–2 — 3–0 2–1 —
Maysan 1–1 — — 1–1 1–3 0–1 — — — 0–0 — — 0–0 3–2
Peshmerga 2–1 — 1–1 0–0 1–1 — — — — 1–1 — — — 4–2
Samaraa — 1–0 3–0[lower-alpha 2] — — 3–2 0–0 — 2–2 — 2–0 — — —
Updated to match(es) played on 4 July 2021. Source: IFA official website
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Notes:
  1. ↑ The Al-Bahri–Peshmerga match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Bahri, as Peshmerga did not turn up for the game.
  2. ↑ The Samarra–Al-Ettefaq match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Samarra, as Al-Ettefaq did not turn up for the game.

Third place

Afak0 – 1Samaraa
Report Adnan 38' (pen.)
Attendance: 0
Referee: Salem Amer

Final

Newroz0 – 1Al-Sinaa
Report Keke 82'
Al-Taji Stadium, Baghdad
Attendance: 0
Referee: Ahmed Kadhim

Play-offs

Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya1 – 1Samaraa
Mahmoud 57' (pen.) Report Adnan soccer ball with red X 38’
Mohammed 53'
Penalties
  • Shaibani soccer ball with red X
  • Malik soccer ball with check mark
  • Noori soccer ball with check mark
  • Mohammed soccer ball with red X
 2–4
  • soccer ball with check mark Saadi
  • soccer ball with check mark Al-Dahi
  • soccer ball with red X Abdullah
  • soccer ball with check mark Abdul-Hassan
  • soccer ball with check mark Motlaq
Attendance: 0

Season statistics

As of 16 July 2021

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 Iraq Samer Mohsin Afak 12
2 Iraq Hussein Ibrahim Al-Alam 10
Iraq Ahmed Turki Akkad
4 Iraq Salih Motlaq Samarra 9
5 Nigeria Donatus Edafe Al-Nasiriya 8
Iraq Fadhel Wasmi Masafi Al-Janoob
Iraq Ahmed Sabri Duhok
8 Ivory Coast Cissé Al-Ramadi 7
Iraq Husham Ahmed Al-Difaa Al-Madani
Ivory Coast Jean-Christian Keke Al-Sinaa

References

  1. ↑ mo22. "اعتماد تصنيف وآلية وموعد انطلاق دوري الدرجة الأولى". الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ mo22. "لجنة المسابقات تجري قرعة دوري الدرجة الأولى". الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "دوري الدرجة الاولى – الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
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