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 26−3 39
5 Peris 26 9 10 7 27 26+1 37
6 Ramadi 26 10 7 9 29 30−1 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 27−3 33
10 Al-Kahraba 26 7 9 10 22 34−12 30
11 Kirkuk 26 6 9 11 18 25−7 27
12 Sulaymaniyah 26 6 9 11 26 34−8 27 Relegation to Iraq Division 1
13 Al-Hedood 26 4 7 15 15 33−18 19
14 Diyala 26 1 6 19 9 47−38 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 0–1 0–3 2–3 1–1 0–2 3–0 0–4 3–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 0–0 0–0
Al-Kahraba 1–0 0–1 0–0 0–0 0–6 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–1
Al-Naft 1–0 1–0 1–3 2–2 0–0 1–0 0–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 1–0
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–0 2–1 2–2 4–1 0–2 4–0 0–0 0–1 3–1 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–1
Al-Shorta 0–0 2–0 1–0 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–0 0–0 1–1 2–0 2–3 1–0 2–1
Erbil 3–0 3–1 3–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–2 3–1 2–0 3–1 3–1 1–0 4–2
Diyala 0–1 0–1 0–1 1–2 0–3 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–3 1–3 0–0 1–0 1–1
Duhok 2–1 3–2 3–0 2–1 4–0 3–0 4–0 1–0 0–0 4–0 1–0 2–0 1–1
Kirkuk 1–0 0–0 1–0 0–1 2–2 2–2 1–0 0–1 2–0 1–2 2–3 0–1 1–0
Peris 1–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–3 4–1 2–2 0–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 2–1
Ramadi 2–0 1–2 1–1 1–0 2–0 2–2 2–1 1–2 2–1 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–1
Salahaddin 1–0 2–2 2–1 1–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–0 3–0 0–1 0–0 1–3
Samarra 2–0 1–2 4–0 2–1 3–2 1–2 1–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–2 1–2 2–0
Sulaymaniyah 2–1 3–1 1–2 1–2 0–0 0–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–0 2–1 2–1 1–4

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 24−4 36
7 Kufa 24 7 11 6 24 240 32
8 Al-Sinaa 24 4 15 5 17 18−1 27
9 Nassriya 24 6 7 11 23 28−5 25
10 Samawa 24 5 8 11 15 25−10 23
11 Karbalaa 24 5 5 14 18 30−12 20 Relegation to Iraq Division 1
12 Al-Bareed 24 3 6 15 11 30−19 15
13 Maysan 24 2 8 14 20 45−25 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 1–1 3–0 1–1 0–0 1–1 3–0 4–1 3–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–0
Al-Bareed 0–1 2–0 0–1 0–1 1–4 0–2 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 2–2
Al-Minaa 1–1 1–0 2–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 2–1 0–0 0–1 1–0 2–0
Al-Sinaa 0–1 1–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Al-Talaba 0–1 1–0 2–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 3–0 4–1 3–2 2–0 3–0 1–1
Al-Zawraa 0–2 3–1 4–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 2–2 1–1 1–3 0–2 2–1 1–0
Karbalaa 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 1–2 0–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 0–3 1–1 4–0
Kufa 2–2 1–0 1–1 0–0 0–1 0–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 0–1 3–1 1–0
Maysan 0–2 0–0 1–1 2–4 0–2 1–1 1–0 0–1 0–0 0–3 1–2 1–0
Naft Al-Janoob 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 1–1 1–2 1–0
Najaf 1–1 3–0 1–0 3–1 1–0 1–2 2–0 1–0 6–1 2–1 1–1 3–0
Nassriya 0–1 3–0 0–1 1–1 1–2 1–2 1–0 0–0 2–1 2–1 1–2 1–2
Samawa 0–1 1–0 3–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 2–1 0–2 2–0 0–0 0–0 1–1

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