2007–08 Iraqi Premier League

Iraqi Premier League
Season 2007–08
Champions Arbil
Promoted Al-Bareed (Baghdad)
Al-Ramadi (Baghdad)
Al-Shuala (Baghdad)
Peris (North)
Zaxo (North)
Al-Samawa (South)
Kufa (South)
Relegated Al-Adala (Baghdad)
Al-Jaish (Baghdad)
Al-Shuala (Baghdad)
Sirwan (North)
Zaxo (North)
Al-Forat (South)
Al-Shatra (South)
AFC Cup Arbil
Al-Zawraa
Arab Champions League Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Goals scored 678
Top goalscorer Asaad Abdul-Nabi
(Al-Kahraba), 14
Biggest home win Karbalaa 5-0 Al-Forat
Biggest away win Al-Jaish 1-8 Al-Kahraba
Al-Shuala 0-7 Al-Jawiya
Highest scoring Al-Jaish 1-8 Al-Kahraba
Al-Ramadi 2-7 Al-Jawiya
Al-Jawiya 6-3 Kirkuk

The 2007–08 Iraqi Premier League season started on 26 November 2007 and ended on 24 August 2008. The season saw Arbil crowned as champions.

For security reasons the league was divided into three groups; Baghdad, North and South, The top six clubs from the Baghdad group and the top four clubs from the North and South groups qualified for the Elite Stage. The Elite Stage consisted of three groups, from which the winners and one runner-up qualified for the Golden Stage, a knockout tournament. The Golden Stage matches were held in Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad.

The champions and runners-up (Al-Zawraa) qualified for the 2009 AFC Cup (Iraq is excluded from the AFC Champions League due to not fulfilling the AFC demand of having a fully professional league), while third-placed Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya qualified for the 2008–09 Arab Champions League.

Primary stage

The Primary Stage formation

The Primary Stage clubs

Al-Bareed
Al-Jaish
Al-Shorta
Al-Sinaa
Al-Talaba
Al-Zawraa
Al-Ramadi
Duhok
Peris
Arbil
Sirwan
Sulaymaniyah
Samaraa
Al-Shatra
Al-Samawa
Al-Minaa

Baghdad Division - Blue

North Division - Orange

  • Arbil
  • Duhok
  • Kirkuk
  • Mosul - withdrew
  • Peris
  • Samaraa
  • Sirwan
  • Sulaymaniyah
  • Zaxo

South Division - Purple

  Qualified to the Elite stage
  Relegated to the 2nd division
(C)   Current League title holder
(N)   Promoted to Iraqi Premier League in this season

Baghdad Division

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Al-Shorta 22138140142647Qualified to the Elite stage
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 22144442132946Qualified to the Elite stage
3 Al-Kahraba 22108430102038Qualified to the Elite stage
4 Al-Zawraa 22107524121237Qualified to the Elite stage
5 Al-Talaba 229942517836Qualified to the Elite stage
6 Al-Sinaa 229852416835Qualified to the Elite stage
7 Al-Bareed (N) 228682529-430
8 Al-Naft 226971824-627
9 Al-Ramadi (N) 2256112642-1621
10 Al-Jaish 2236131439-2515Relegated
11 Al-Shuala (N) 2234151444-3013Relegated
12 Al-Adala 2233171033-2212Relegated

Results

ADLBRDJSHKAHNFTJAWRAMSHOSHLSINTALZAW
Al-Adala 2-10-20-30-00-10-20-10-10-22-31-1
Al-Bareed 2-0 1-01-01-00-23-31-41-13-20-02-2
Al-Jaish 1-00-1 1-82-20-31-30-00-30-10-00-2
Al-Kahraba 1-14-22-0 0-11-01-01-11-00-12-00-0
Al-Naft 2-11-02-20-0 0-03-11-12-10-00-21-2
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0-11-11-00-12-0 3-11-13-012-01-11-0
Al-Ramadi 1-02-11-20-42-22-7 1-11-20-20-10-0
Al-Shorta 3-12-04-10-03-02-04-2 2-10-01-21-0
Al-Shuala 1-20-11-11-00-10-72-30-3 1-31-30-5
Al-Sinaa 2-01-21-01-13-00-20-01-11-1 2-21-0
Al-Talaba 2-02-11-10-01-01-21-10-03-00-0 0-1
Al-Zawraa 1-00-02-00-00-01-32-01-21-01-0 2-0

1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya awarded 3-0 victory over Al-Shuala as a penalty for not coming to the match.

North Division

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Arbil (C)149412151631 Qualified to the Elite stage
2 Duhok 149321661030 Qualified to the Elite stage
3 Peris (N) 146442016422 Qualified to the Elite stage
4 Kirkuk 146351817121 Qualified to the Elite stage
5 Sulaymaniyah 144731617-119
6 Samaraa 143561016-614
7 Sirwan 14248914-510 Relegated
8 Zaxo (N)140410524-194 Relegated
9 Mosul -------- Withdrew

Results

ARBDUHKRKPERSMRSIRSULZXO
Arbil 0-12-01-04-11-04-00-0
Duhok 1-2 0-12-10-02-12-11-0
Kirkuk 0-20-1 2-31-03-12-22-0
Peris 1-10-21-1 2-00-03-33-01
Samaraa 1-20-11-12-0 0-21-13-2
Sirwan 0-00-00-10-10-1 1-23-0
Sulaymaniyah 0-00-03-11-30-02-0 1-0
Zaxo 0-20-321-31-20-01-10-0
1, 2 Both Duhok FC and Peris FC awarded 3-0 victory over Zaxo FC as a penalty for using a banned player,
Duhok vs. Zaxo match would be ended 0-0.
Peris vs. Zaxo match would be ended 1-1.

South Division

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Karbalaa 16122227121538 Qualified to the Elite stage
2 Najaf 169522391432 Qualified to the Elite stage
3 Al-Minaa 168621910930 Qualified to the Elite stage
4 Naft Al-Janoob 165651614221 Qualified to the Elite stage
5 Maysan 164751617-119
6 Kufa (N) 164571315-217
7 Al-Samawa (N)163761118-716
8 Al-Forat 1642101733-1614Relegated
9 Al-Shatra 1622121226-148Relegated

Results

FORMINSAMSHTKRBKUFMAYJANNJF
Al-Forat 1-03-02-12-41-41-30-21-2
Al-Minaa 2-0 2-01-02-12-02-13-30-0
Al-Samawa 2-10-0 1-00-01-01-11-11-1
Al-Shatra 2-31-12-2 0-21-00-20-11-3
Karbalaa 5-02-11-01-0 2-11-02-10-0
Kufa 0-00-11-03-21-2 2-21-00-1
Maysan 1-11-11-10-10-10-0 1-02-1
Naft Al-Janoob 2-00-02-13-01-20-00-0 0-0
Najaf FC 3-10-12-01-02-10-04-13-0

Elite stage

Elite Stage formation

The group winners (3 teams) qualify directly to the Golden stage.
The groups' runners-up qualify to the Play-off to decide the 4th qualified team to the Golden Stage.

Elite Stage clubs

Group A

  • Arbil (North Champion)
  • Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Baghdad 2nd place)
  • Al-Minaa (South 3rd place)
  • Kirkuk (North 4th place)
  • Al-Sinaa (Baghdad 6th place)

Group B

Group C

  • Al-Shorta (Baghdad Champion)
  • Najaf (South 2nd place)
  • Peris (North 3rd place)
  • Al-Zawraa (Baghdad 4th place)

  Qualified to the Golden stage
  Runners-up's Round-robin
(C)   Current League title holder
(N)   Promoted to the Iraqi Premier League in this season

Group A

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Arbil (C) 842295414Qualified to the Golden Stage
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 8413108213Qualified to the Play-Off
3 Kirkuk 8314810-210
4 Al-Minaa 823368-29
5 Al-Sinaa 823357-29

Results

MIN JAW SIN ARB KRK
Al-Minaa 1-01-10-01-0
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1-0 1-02-16-3
Al-Sinaa 2-10-0 0-32-0
Arbil 2-21-01-0 1-0
Kirkuk 2-02-00-01-0

Group B

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Duhok 8530123918 Qualified to the Golden Stage
2 Karbalaa 844094516 Qualified to the Play-Off
3 Al-Talaba 814347-37
4 Naft Al-Janoob 8215611-57
5 Al-Kahraba 81251016-65

Results

KAH TAL DUH KRB JAN
Al-Kahraba 0-10-41-23-1
Al-Talaba 2-2 0-10-00-1
Duhok 2-22-0 0-01-0
Karbalaa 2-11-10-0 2-0
Naft Al-Janoob 2-10-01-21-2

Group C

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Al-Zawraa 6411115613 Qualified to the Golden Stage
2 Najaf 632174311 Qualified to the Play-Off
3 Al-Shorta 612359-45
4 Peris (N) 603316-53

Results

SHOZAWNJFPER
Al-Shorta 1-30-12-1
Al-Zawraa 1-1 0-12-0
Najaf 3-12-3 0-0
Peris 0-00-20-0

Semifinal qualification playoff

The Elite Stage groups' runners-up.

The Playoff qualified teams

Playoff group

Team GP W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 21013303
2 Najaf 21013303
3 Karbalaa 21011103

Results

JAW KRB NJF
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0-1
Karbalaa 0-1
Najaf 2-3

Golden stage

Golden Stage formation

The Elite stage groups' winners (3 teams) and the winner of the Play off.

Golden Stage qualified teams

Results

Semi-finals Final
20 August 2008 - Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
  Al-Zawraa  1  
  Duhok  0  
 
24 August 2008 - Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
      Al-Zawraa  0
    Arbil  1
Third place
21 August 2008 - Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad 24 August 2008 - Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad
  Arbil  2   Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya  3
  Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   0     Duhok  0

Semi-finals

August 20, 2008
Al-Zawraa 1 – 0 Duhok
Abdul-Salam Abood  75' (Pen)


August 21, 2008
Arbil 2 – 0 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Luay Salah  28'
Ahmad Salah  53'

Third-fourth place play-off

August 23, 2008
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3 – 0 Duhok
Amjad Radhi  5'
Muthana Khalid  42'
Malik Zwaid  82'

Final

August 24, 2008
Al-Zawraa 0 – 1 Arbil
Ahmad Salah  99'

Champions

Champions

Arbil FC
Second Title

Awards

Top scorers

Last updated: 24 August 2008.

  #   Player Team Goals per Stage   Total  
  Primary Stage    Elite Stage    Play-Off    Golden Stage  
1 Iraq   Asaad Abdul-Nabi    Al-Kahraba   10 4 x x 14
2 Iraq   Hussam Saeed    Al-Zawraa   10 2 x x 12
= Iraq   Taysir Abdul-Hussein    Al-Shorta   10 2 x x 12
4 Iraq   Abdul-Salam Abood    Al-Zawraa   7 3 x 1 11
= Iraq   Yassir Abdul-Muhsen    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   10 1 x x 11
6 Iraq   Ayad Shaalan    Al-Sinaa   10 x x x 10
= Iraq   Ahmad Ijdayia    Al-Ramadi   10 x x x 10
8 Iraq   Ahmad Salah    Arbil   4 3 x 2 9
= Iraq   Ali Sabbar    Al-Sinaa   7 2 x x 9
= Iraq   Akram Hashem    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   8 1 x x 9
11 Iraq   Luay Salah    Arbil   6 1 x 1 8
= Iraq   Ali Mohammed     Najaf   6 1 1 x 8
= Iraq   Younis Shakor    Kirkuk   5 3 x x 8
14 Iraq   Nawaf Falah    Duhok   3 4 x x 7
= Iraq   Hussam Farhoud    Karbalaa   7 x x x 7
= Iraq   Ali Aoda    Al-Jaish   7 x x x 7
= Iraq   Hussam Aziz    Al-Forat   7 x x x 7
18 Iraq   Ali Mansour    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   2 4 x x 6
= Iraq   Saeed Mohsen    Najaf   2 4 x x 6
= Iraq   Sahib Abbas    Karbalaa   3 3 x x 6
= Iraq   Jabir Shakir    Al-Kahraba   3 3 x x 6
= Iraq   Osama Shaial    Al-Minaa   3 3 x x 6
= Iraq   Ali Jabir Abdul-Hussein    Karbalaa   5 1 x x 6
= Iraq   Ahmad Hanon    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   5 1 x x 6
= Iraq   Alaa Aasi    Al-Minaa   5 1 x x 6
= Iraq   Halkurd Mulla Mohammed    Sulaymaniyah   6 x x x 6
As of the end of The Golden Stage

4 Substitutions

The IFA made a new rule: the clubs can use 4 substitutions instead of 3 substitutions. IFA added this section in their last meeting with the clubs' officials and all teams agreed with the new rule.

Sources & References