2008–09 Iraqi Premier League

Iraqi Premier League
Season 2008-09
Champions Arbil
Promoted Al-Amana
Al-Hedood
Diyala
Nassriya
Salahaddin
Relegated Al-Bareed
Al-Hedood
Diyala
Karbalaa
Maysan
Sulaymaniyah
AFC Cup Arbil
Najaf
Goals scored 701
Average goals/game 2.2
Top goalscorer Ahmad Salah
(Arbil), 15 goals
Biggest home win Najaf 6-1 Maysan
Biggest away win Al-Kahraba 0-6 Arbil
Highest scoring Najaf 6-1 Maysan
← 2007–08
2009–10 →

The 2008-09 season is the 35th edition of the Iraqi Premier League, It starts on 1 November 2008 and is scheduled to end on 16 July 2009. 28 teams from all over the country are competing for the title. Arbil FC are the defending champion.

Changes from 2007–08

The IFA decided to cancel the old group system, which was used from 2004 until 2008. This time, the 28 teams will be divided into two groups with each 14 teams. There will be a northern and southern group, with the clubs from the capital Baghdad being drawn into either one of these groups. After playing home and away games, the two group winners are going to play for the League title in a final. The two runner-ups are playing for the third place. The league champions and runner-up will qualify for the 2010 AFC Cup. Furthermore it was announced that this will be the last season featuring groups.

The draw for the groups was held on October 8, 2008 in Baghdad.

Members clubs

Club District, City Governorate 2007-2008 season Notes
Arbil Arbil Arbil Governorate Champion AFC Cup 2009 Qualifier
Al-Zawraa Karkh, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Runner-up AFC Cup 2009 Qualifier
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Rusafa, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate 3rd Place Arab Champions League 2008-09 Qualifier
Dohuk Dohuk Dohuk Governorate 4th Place
Najaf Najaf Najaf Governorate 5th Place
Karbalaa Karbalaa Karbalaa Governorate 6th Place
Kirkuk Kirkuk Kirkuk Governorate Elite Stage - Group A 3rd Place
Al-Minaa Basra Basra Governorate Elite Stage - Group A 4th Place
Al-Sinaa Rusafa, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Elite Stage - Group A 5th Place
Al-Talaba Rusafa, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Elite Stage - Group B 3rd Place
Naft Al-Janoob Basra Basra Governorate Elite Stage - Group B 4th Place
Al-Kahraba Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Elite Stage - Group B 5th Place
Al-Shorta Rusafa, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Elite Stage - Group C 3rd Place
Peris Dohuk Dohuk Governorate Elite Stage - Group C 4th Place
Al-Bareed Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Baghdad Division 7th Place
Al-Naft Rusafa, Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Baghdad Division 8th Place
Ramadi Ramadi Al-Anbar Governorate Baghdad Division 9th Place
Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah Governorate North Division 5th Place
Samarra Samarra Salahaddin Governorate North Division 6th Place
Maysan Amarah Maysan Governorate South Division 5th Place
Kufa Kufa Najaf Governorate South Division 6th Place
Samawa Samawa Muthanna Governorate South Division 7th Place
Al-Amana Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Promoted
Al-Hedood Baghdad Baghdad Governorate Promoted
Diyala Baqubah Diyala Governorate Promoted
Nassriya Nassriya Dhi Qar Governorate Promoted
Salahaddin Tikrit Salahaddin Governorate Promoted

Withdrawal

Club District, City Governorate 2007-2008 season Notes
Mosul Mosul Ninawa Governorate Withdrawn for Security reasons Withdraw due to Financial problems

Group A

Group A Standing

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Erbil 26 20 4 2 55 17+38 64 Championship play-off and AFC Cup 2010 Group stage
2 Duhok 26 18 7 1 47 11+36 61 Third place play-off
3 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 26 12 6 8 36 25+11 42
4 Al-Naft 26 11 6 9 23 263 39
5 Peris 26 9 10 7 27 26+1 37
6 Ramadi 26 10 7 9 29 301 37
7 Samarra 26 9 7 10 27 23+4 34
8 Al-Shorta 26 8 10 8 29 290 34
9 Salahaddin 26 8 9 9 24 273 33
10 Al-Kahraba 26 7 9 10 22 3412 30
11 Kirkuk 26 6 9 11 18 257 27
12 Sulaymaniyah 26 6 9 11 26 348 27 Relegation to Iraq Division 1
13 Al-Hedood 26 4 7 15 15 3318 19
14 Diyala 26 1 6 19 9 4738 9

Updated to games played on 3 July 2009.
Source: Goalzz.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Group A Results

Home ╲ Away[1] HED KAH NFTJAWSHOERBDYLDUHKRKPERRAMSALSMRSUL
Al-Hedood 01 03 23 11 02 30 04 30 11 00 10 00 00
Al-Kahraba 10 01 00 00 06 11 11 10 00 13 11 11 21
Al-Naft 10 10 13 22 00 10 01 00 10 10 20 11 10
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 20 21 22 41 02 40 00 01 31 11 00 21 11
Al-Shorta 00 20 10 12 12 30 10 00 11 20 23 10 21
Erbil 30 31 30 10 10 20 12 31 20 31 31 10 42
Diyala 01 01 01 12 03 02 02 11 03 13 00 10 11
Duhok 21 32 30 21 40 30 40 10 00 40 10 20 11
Kirkuk 10 00 10 01 22 22 10 01 20 12 23 01 10
Peris 11 21 10 10 11 03 41 22 00 20 21 20 21
Ramadi 20 12 11 10 20 22 21 12 21 00 00 01 11
Salahaddin 10 22 21 10 00 00 11 02 10 30 01 00 13
Samarra 20 12 40 21 32 12 10 00 00 11 12 12 20
Sulaymaniyah 21 31 12 12 00 02 00 00 11 10 21 21 14

Source: Goalzz.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.

Group B

Group B Standing

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Najaf 24 15 7 2 39 12+27 52 Championship play-off and AFC Cup 2010 Group stage
2 Al-Amana 24 13 11 0 37 15+22 50 Third place play-off
3 Al-Talaba 24 14 5 5 32 15+17 47
4 Al-Zawraa 24 9 9 6 30 24+6 36
5 Naft Al-Janoob 24 9 9 6 27 23+4 36
6 Al-Minaa 24 10 6 8 20 244 36
7 Kufa 24 7 11 6 24 240 32
8 Al-Sinaa 24 4 15 5 17 181 27
9 Nassriya 24 6 7 11 23 285 25
10 Samawa 24 5 8 11 15 2510 23
11 Karbalaa 24 5 5 14 18 3012 20 Relegation to Iraq Division 1
12 Al-Bareed 24 3 6 15 11 3019 15
13 Maysan 24 2 8 14 20 4525 14

Updated to games played on 19 June 2009.
Source: Goalzz.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Group B Results

Home ╲ Away[1] AMN BRD MINSINTALZAWKRBKUFMAYJANNJFNASSAM
Al-Amana 11 30 11 00 11 30 41 32 22 11 11 20
Al-Bareed 01 20 01 01 14 02 01 11 10 00 10 22
Al-Minaa 11 10 21 10 10 10 22 21 00 01 10 20
Al-Sinaa 01 10 00 00 00 10 11 11 00 00 00 00
Al-Talaba 01 10 21 11 02 20 30 41 32 20 30 11
Al-Zawraa 02 31 41 11 01 00 22 11 13 02 21 10
Karbalaa 12 11 01 21 12 01 00 21 10 03 11 40
Kufa 22 10 11 00 01 00 11 31 11 01 31 10
Maysan 02 00 11 24 02 11 10 01 00 03 12 10
Naft Al-Janoob 00 10 10 21 21 21 31 21 22 11 12 10
Najaf 11 30 10 31 10 12 20 10 61 21 11 30
Nassriya 01 30 01 11 12 12 10 00 21 21 12 12
Samawa 01 10 30 00 00 11 21 02 20 00 00 11

Source: Goalzz.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.

Championship play-off

The group winners will play-off for the championship, while the group runners-up will play for third- and fourth-place.

Table

Team 1  Score  Team 2
3rd Place Match
Al-Amana 0 - 1 Dohuk
Final
Najaf 0 - 0
(2 - 3 pk)
Arbil

3rd Place Match

2009-07-15
Al-Amana 0 – 1 Dohuk
Khalid Mushir  48'

The Final

2009-07-16
Najaf 0 – 0 Arbil
  Penalties  
2 – 3

Champions

Champions

Arbil FC
Third Title

Top scorers

  #   Player Team Goals
1 Iraq   Ahmad Salah    Arbil   15
2 Iraq   Luay Salah    Arbil   11
3 Iraq   Nasser Talla'a    Naft Al-Janoob   9
3 Iraq   Sahib Abbas    Karbala   9
3 Iraq   Hussein Karim    Najaf   9
6 Iraq   Salar Abdul-Jabar    Al-Zawraa   8
6 Iraq   Ahmad Ijdayia    Al-Amana   8
6 Iraq   Amar Ahmad    Ramadi   8
6 Iraq   Amer Mushrif    Ramadi   8
6 Iraq   Jassim Mohammed    Nassriya   8
11 Iraq   Ali Mansour    Arbil   7
11 Iraq   Nadim Karim    Al-Talaba   7
11 Iraq   Alaa Assi    Najaf   7
11 Iraq   Amjad Radhi    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   7
11 Iraq   Ahmad Hanon    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   7
11 Iraq   Sultan Jassib    Al-Minaa   7
11 Iraq   Karrar Tariq    Salahaddin   7
11 Iraq   Hamadi Ahmad    Samarra   7
11 Iraq   Abbas Hasan    Al-Kahraba   7

See also

References