Wikipedia

2020–21 Iraqi Premier League

The 2020–21 Iraqi Premier League was the 47th season of the Iraqi Premier League since its establishment in 1974. The season started on 25 October 2020 and ended on 28 July 2021, with the relegation play-off held on 30 July 2021.[1]

Iraqi Premier League
Season2020–21
Dates25 October 2020 – 28 July 2021
ChampionsAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(7th title)
RelegatedAl-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya
Al-Hudood
Al-Samawa
AFC Champions LeagueAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Al-Zawraa
Matches played380
Goals scored773 (2.03 per match)
Top goalscorerAymen Hussein
(22 goals)
Biggest home winAl-Shorta 7–0 Al-Samawa
(2 April 2021)
Biggest away winNaft Maysan 0–4 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(16 May 2021)
Highest scoringAl-Shorta 7–0 Al-Samawa
(2 April 2021)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3–4 Al-Najaf
(12 May 2021)
Longest winning run6 matches
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Longest unbeaten run15 matches
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Longest winless run20 matches
Al-Hudood
Longest losing run6 matches
Al-Talaba

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya sealed their seventh Premier League title with three matches to spare, finishing ahead of Al-Zawraa and Al-Najaf. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya also won the Iraq FA Cup to become the first Iraqi club since the 2001–02 season to win the double. Their manager Ayoub Odisho became the most successful coach in Premier League history with four titles.[2][3][4]

New rules edit

For the first time in the Iraqi Premier League, the Iraq Football Association decided to use head-to-head points as the first tiebreaker for teams level on points, followed by head-to-head goal difference, total goal difference, total number of wins and total goals scored. Also, the maximum number of substitutions in a game for each team was increased from four to five.[5]

Teams edit

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Locations of the 2020–21 Iraqi Premier League teams

Twenty teams competed in the league – the top eighteen teams from the 2018–19 season and the two promoted teams from the 2018–19 Iraqi First Division League.

Clubs and locations edit

Team Manager Location Stadium Capacity
Al-Diwaniya   Ahmed Khalaf Diwaniya Al-Diwaniya Stadium 5,000
Al-Hudood   Abbas Attiya Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Kahrabaa   Ahmed Salah Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Karkh   Thair Ahmed Baghdad Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium 5,150
Al-Minaa   Ahmed Rahim Basra Al-Fayhaa Stadium 10,000
Al-Naft   Basim Qasim Baghdad Al-Sinaa Stadium 10,000
Al-Najaf   Hatif Shamran Najaf Al-Najaf International Stadium 30,000
Al-Qasim   Qusay Munir Babil Al-Kifl Stadium 10,000
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya   Ayoub Odisho Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium 34,200
Al-Samawa   Aqeel Ghani Samawa Al-Samawa Stadium 5,000
Al-Shorta   Aleksandar Ilić Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium 34,200
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya   Adel Nima Baghdad Al-Taji Stadium 5,000
Al-Talaba   Thair Jassam Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium 34,200
Al-Zawraa   Radhi Shenaishil Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium 34,200
Amanat Baghdad   Essam Hamad Baghdad Amanat Baghdad Stadium 5,000
Erbil   Taha Qadir Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium 25,000
Naft Al-Basra[a]   Emad Aoda Basra Al-Fayhaa Stadium 10,000
Naft Al-Wasat   Abdul-Ghani Shahad Najaf Al-Najaf International Stadium 30,000
Naft Maysan   Uday Ismail Amara Maysan Olympic Stadium 25,000
Zakho   Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail Zakho Zakho International Stadium 20,000
Notes
  1. ^ On 23 October 2020, Naft Al-Junoob officially changed its name to Naft Al-Basra.

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (C) 38 25 8 5 68 29 +39 83 Qualification for the AFC Champions League group stage
2 Al-Zawraa 38 20 15 3 46 19 +27 75 Qualification for the AFC Champions League play-off round
3 Al-Najaf[a] 38 21 11 6 46 26 +20 74
4 Al-Shorta 38 20 12 6 60 27 +33 72
5 Naft Al-Wasat 38 16 15 7 46 31 +15 63
6 Al-Naft 38 12 17 9 36 34 +2 53
7 Amanat Baghdad 38 13 11 14 30 32 −2 50
8 Al-Minaa 38 12 13 13 45 44 +1 49
9 Zakho 38 10 16 12 35 40 −5 46
10 Al-Karkh 38 11 12 15 35 40 −5 45
11 Naft Al-Basra 38 10 14 14 35 45 −10 44[b]
12 Erbil 38 10 14 14 39 41 −2 44[b]
13 Naft Maysan 38 9 16 13 38 48 −10 43
14 Al-Kahrabaa 38 8 17 13 36 39 −3 41[c]
15 Al-Qasim 38 9 14 15 39 50 −11 41[c]
16 Al-Diwaniya 38 7 20 11 22 36 −14 41[c]
17 Al-Talaba 38 8 15 15 36 47 −11 39
18 Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya (R) 38 7 16 15 27 39 −12 37 Qualification to the relegation play-off
19 Al-Hudood (R) 38 4 19 15 32 48 −16 31 Relegation to the Iraqi First Division League
20 Al-Samawa (R) 38 5 11 22 22 58 −36 26
Source: IPFL
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; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Since the winners of the 2020–21 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, also qualified for the AFC Champions League based on league position, the second AFC Champions League play-off round spot was passed to the third-placed team. However, Al-Najaf failed to obtain an AFC license. The fourth-placed team, Al-Shorta, declined to participate in place of Al-Najaf, therefore Iraq's second AFC Champions League play-off round spot was annulled.
  2. ^ a b Naft Al-Basra finished ahead of Erbil on head-to-head points: Erbil 0–1 Naft Al-Basra, Naft Al-Basra 1–0 Erbil.
  3. ^ a b c Al-Kahrabaa finished ahead of Al-Qasim and Al-Diwaniya on head-to-head points: Al-Kahrabaa 8, Al-Qasim 3, Al-Diwaniya 3. Al-Qasim finished ahead of Al-Diwaniya on goal difference: Al-Qasim –11, Al-Diwaniya –14.


Results edit

Home \ Away DIW HUD KAH KAR MIN NFT NJF QSM QWJ SMA SHR SNK TLB ZWR AMN ERB NFB NFW NFM ZAK
Al-Diwaniya 1–1 0–0 0–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 2–0 2–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 0–0
Al-Hudood 1–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–1 2–1 2–2 1–2 0–0 0–2 1–1 2–2 1–2 0–2 0–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 1–2
Al-Kahrabaa 3–0 2–2 1–0 2–2 0–1 0–0 1–0 0–1 1–0 0–3 1–1 0–1 0–0 0–1 2–2 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–2
Al-Karkh 2–1 0–1 1–0 2–1 0–2 1–2 2–1 0–2 0–0 0–3 1–0 2–2 1–1 0–0 2–0 4–2 0–1 0–1 1–1
Al-Minaa 2–0 0–0 1–3 2–2 0–1 0–2 2–1 2–0 3–1 2–3 1–0 1–0 0–0 0–1 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 3–1
Al-Naft 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–4 3–3 2–2 2–0 1–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 1–1 0–1 2–3 1–0
Al-Najaf 2–0 2–1 1–1 2–2 1–0 2–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 3–1 2–1 2–0 0–1 2–1 0–0 1–1 0–3[a] 0–0 1–1
Al-Qasim 0–0 2–0 1–1 0–0 1–2 0–2 1–1 1–2 3–2 0–2 1–0 2–3 0–2 3–1 0–0 1–2 2–1 3–3 2–1
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–0 2–1 1–0 3–2 2–1 4–1 3–4 1–1 5–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–1 3–0 3–2 3–2 3–1 4–1
Al-Samawa 2–3 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–1 0–2 0–3 2–0 1–1 1–2 0–0 0–1 0–0 0–0 1–2 0–2
Al-Shorta 5–0 1–2 0–0 1–0 4–2 1–1 0–0 1–0 0–0 7–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–1 1–0 1–1 3–1 2–1
Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya 1–1 0–0 1–0 3–2 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 2–1 0–0 1–1 0–3 0–1 0–0 2–0 1–0 1–1 0–0 1–0
Al-Talaba 1–0 1–1 3–1 1–2 4–2 0–0 0–2 1–0 0–1 1–2 0–1 1–2 0–2 1–2 1–1 0–0 2–2 1–1 1–1
Al-Zawraa 3–0 3–0 2–2 0–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 2–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–1
Amanat Baghdad 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–1 2–1 1–1 2–1 0–1 1–1 0–2 3–0 1–1 0–0 0–0
Erbil 1–0 1–1 1–1 0–1 2–2 2–1 1–1 5–1 0–0 2–0 0–1 1–0 5–0 1–3 2–2 0–1 0–1 0–1 1–1
Naft Al-Basra 0–1 3–2 2–2 1–0 1–2 0–1 0–3 1–1 1–2 2–1 0–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–3 2–1 1–0
Naft Al-Wasat 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–0 0–1 2–3 0–1 5–1 1–0 3–2 1–0 0–2 4–1 1–0 2–1 0–1 1–1
Naft Maysan 0–0 3–2 2–4 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–2 0–1 0–4 0–0 1–1 2–2 0–0 0–1 1–0 2–3 1–1 0–1 1–1
Zakho 1–1 1–0 1–3 0–0 2–1 1–1 0–1 1–1 1–0 2–0 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–2
Source: IPFL
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ The Al-Najaf–Naft Al-Wasat match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Naft Al-Wasat, as Al-Najaf did not turn up for the game.

Relegation play-off edit

Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya1–1Samarra
  • Mahmoud   57' (pen.)
Penalties
 2–4

Samarra are promoted to the Iraqi Premier League, while Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya are relegated to the Iraqi First Division League.

Season statistics edit

Top scorers edit

Rank Player Club Goals[6]
1   Aymen Hussein Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 22
2   Manar Taha Al-Hudood 15
3   Mohammed Jaffal Al-Talaba 14
  Ahmed Lafta Al-Najaf
  Hammadi Ahmed Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

Hat-tricks edit

Main article: List of Iraq Stars League hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date
  Mousa Adnan Al-Naft Al-Samawa 3–1 (H)[7] 12 December 2020
  Aymen Hussein Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Naft 4–1 (H)[8] 31 January 2021
  Wakaa Ramadan Al-Talaba Al-Minaa 4–2 (H)[9] 4 July 2021
Notes

(H) – Home team

Awards edit

Award Winner[10] Club
Soccer Iraq Goal of the Season   Joseph Nathaniel Al-Hudood

Number of teams by region edit

Region Number Teams
Baghdad 10 Al-Hudood, Al-Kahrabaa, Al-Karkh, Al-Naft, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta, Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya, Al-Talaba, Al-Zawraa and Amanat Baghdad
Basra 2 Al-Minaa and Naft Al-Basra
Kurdistan Erbil and Zakho
Najaf Al-Najaf and Naft Al-Wasat
Al-Qadisiya 1 Al-Diwaniya
Babil Al-Qasim
Maysan Naft Maysan
Muthanna Al-Samawa

Match ball edit

On 23 October 2020, Umbro announced their official partnership with Iraq Football Association to manufacture the official match ball for the Iraqi Premier League.[11][12] The official match ball is named Neo Toba.[13] The design was conceived in such a way as to reflect the colours of the Iraqi flag and the patterns represent symbols of ancient Mesopotamian civilization.[14] The term Toba is taken from the Iraqi dialect (Arabic: طوبة) which means "ball" in common parlance.[15]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Season dates". Eurosport. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  2. ^ "الشرطة يفوز بلقب الدوري العراقي".
  3. ^ "صعود القاسم وزاخو".
  4. ^ "فوز الصقور والحدود والنفط وهبوط البحري وفريق الحسين لدوري الدرجة الأولى".
  5. ^ "نظام المسابقات في الدوري العراقي موسم ۲۰۲٠ - ۲۰۲١" (PDF). Iraq Football Association. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Iraqi Premier League 2020-2021 – Scorers". Goalzz.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  7. ^ "موسى عدنان يسجل الهاتريك الأول في دورينا".
  8. ^ "هداف الدوري العراقي يواصل خطف الأنظار بـ"هاتريك" قياسي".
  9. ^ "الطلبة يدك شباك الميناء".
  10. ^ "Soccer Iraq – Domestic Seasons". Soccer Iraq. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Umbro announce partnership with Iraq Football Association".
  12. ^ "Umbro Announces Partnership With Iraq Football Association As Official kit sponsor".
  13. ^ "Neo Toba, official match ball of the Iraq Premier League".
  14. ^ "Neo Toba Ball".
  15. ^ "نيو طوبة للدوري الكروي الممتاز".

External links edit

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