2012–13 Iraqi Premier League

Iraqi Premier League
Season 2012–13
Champions Al-Shorta
4th Premier League title
9th Iraqi title
Relegated Al-Kahraba (15th)
Sulaymaniya (16th)
Al-Sinaa (17th)
Kirkuk (18th)
AFC Champions League qualifiers Al-Shorta
AFC Cup Erbil
Matches played 306
Goals scored 772 (2.52 per match)
Top goalscorer Iraq Amjad Radhi (25 goals)
Biggest home win Al-Zawraa 7–0 Kirkuk FC
Erbil 8–1 Al-Minaa
Biggest away win Al-Sinaa 0–6 Al-Minaa
Highest scoring Erbil 8–1 Al-Minaa
Longest winning run 6 games
Zakho
(27 January 2013 - 27 February 2013)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(4 May 2013 - 24 July 2013)
Longest unbeaten run 20 games
Al-Shorta
(20 October 2012 - 27 April 2013)
Longest losing run 12 games
Kirkuk
(14 May 2013 - 4 September 2013 (last day of season))

The 2012–13 Iraqi Premier League was the 39th season of the Iraqi Premier League since its establishment in 1974. The season began on 19 October 2012 and finished on 4 September 2013. Al-Shorta ended up as the champions with 72 points, two points ahead of nearest rivals Arbil FC. Al-Shorta were defeated only twice in the entire season and this title was their fourth Iraqi League title in their history; it was also the first time they had won the league since 2003. Having finished above the relegation zone on goal difference just two seasons prior, Al-Shorta were nobody's pick for the title at the start of the season; the likes of Erbil, Duhok, Zakho, Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Al-Talaba were touted as the favourites, so it was a surprise that Al-Shorta were the ones to lift the trophy.[1]

On the very last day of the season, three teams were all still in the enthralling race for the title. Al-Shorta needed a win against Al-Talaba to secure the league, whilst Erbil had to defeat Najaf and hope that Al-Shorta failed to win their game if they wanted to retain their title. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya needed both Al-Shorta and Erbil to slip up and needed to defeat Al-Masafi by a big goal-margin in order for them to go home with the trophy. All three teams ended up winning their respective matches, making Al-Shorta the champions.

Format

The league's format has changed once again this season, following the switch from a two-group format to a traditional league last season. A total of 18 teams are contesting the league, two fewer than last season. As a result of this, the bottom four teams in the 2011-12 season were relegated but only two were promoted from the Iraq Division 1. These two promoted teams were Naft Al-Janoob and Sulaymaniya.

The winner and the runner-up qualify to the 2014 AFC Cup. The 3rd place this season will qualify for the 2013–14 UAFA Club Cup.

4 teams will be relegated to 2013–14 Iraq Division 1 and 2 teams will be promoted from 2012–13 Iraq Division 1 to the Iraqi Premier League next season 2013–14.[2]

SWAT Incident

on June 23, 2013 post Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya match, seven football players of Karbala FC and their coach were beaten by the anti-terror police. They used sticks and batons against the coach and his players. Five of them were in critical condition, and on June 30, Mohammed Al-Jaboury, coach of Karbala FC, died in hospital.[3]

Teams

Stadia and locations

Team Home city Venue Capacity
Selected matches Baghdad Al-Shaab Stadium 50,000
Al-Kahraba Baghdad Al Naft Stadium 3,000
Al-Masafi Baghdad Al-Masafi Stadium 5,000
Al-Minaa Basra Al Mina'a Stadium 10,000
Al-Naft Baghdad Al Naft Stadium 3,000
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Baghdad Al Jawiya Stadium 10,000
Al-Shorta Baghdad Al Shorta Stadium 7,000
Al-Sinaa Baghdad Al Sina'a Stadium 10,000
Al-Talaba Baghdad Al Karkh Stadium 6,000
Al-Zawraa Baghdad Al Zawraa Stadium 20,000
Baghdad Baghdad Baghdad Stadium 3,000
Dohuk Duhok Duhok Stadium 20,000
Erbil Erbil Franso Hariri Stadium 40,000
Karbalaa Karbalaa Karbala Stadium 5,000
Kirkuk Kirkuk Kirkuk Olympic Stadium 30,000
Naft Al-Janoob Basra Naft Al-Janoob Stadium 4,000
Najaf Najaf An Najaf Stadium 10,000
Sulaymaniya Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah Stadium 12,000
Zakho Zakho Zakho Stadium 6,000

Number of teams by Iraqi Governorates

Governorate Teams Name of Teams
Center
Baghdad9Al-Kahraba, Al-Masafi, Al-Naft, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta, Al-Sinaa, Al-Talaba, Al-Zawraa and Baghdad
North
Dohuk2Dohuk and Zakho
Erbil1Erbil
Kirkuk1Kirkuk
Sulaymaniya1Sulaymaniya
Middle Euphrates
Karbalaa1Karbalaa
Najaf1Najaf
South
Basra2Al-Minaa and Naft Al-Janoob

Current foreign players

4 Foreign players allowed for each club

Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4
Al-Kahraba
Al-Masafi
Al-Minaa France Claude Gnakpa Yemen Ahmed Al-Sadeq Yemen Ala Al-Sasi Syria Hamid Mido
Al-Naft Egypt Mohamed Shawky Syria Hamdi Al-Masri Syria Mutaz Kailouni
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Cameroon Makadji Boukar Cameroon Jean-Paul Ndeki Equatorial Guinea Ben Konaté
Al-Shorta Cameroon Innocent Awoa Nigeria Minusu Buba (on loan) Burkina Faso Paul Koulibaly
Al-Sinaa Syria Mohannad Ibrahim
Al-Talaba Ghana Habib Mohamed Yemen Shaaban Al-Najjar
Al-Zawraa Syria Hussein Jwayed Lebanon Ibrahim Bahsoun Syria Zaher Midani Syria Kinan Deeb
Baghdad
Dohuk Brazil Jailton Oliveira Syria Ali Diab Syria Burhan Sahyouni SwedenIraq Seif Kadhim
Erbil Senegal Albaye Papa Diop Syria Nadim Sabagh Uganda Ivan Bukenya
Karbalaa
Kirkuk Cameroon Arona Senegal Malick N’diaye
Naft Al-Janoob Syria Moayad Ajan Syria Mohamad Daas Syria Taha Dyab Syria Mohamad Fares
Najaf Nigeria Raphael Odadah Nigeria Raheem Owolabi Nigeria Uche Ogbonnaya Syria Adib Barakat
Sulaymaniya Syria Bakri Tarab Syria Mahmoud Amnah Syria Majd Homsi Uganda Sula Matovu
Zakho Sweden Iraq Bovar Karim Syria Alaa Al-Shbli Syria Firas Ismail Syria Raja Rafe

League Table

Current table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Shorta (C) 34 20 12 2 62 29 +33 72 2014 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-off
2 Erbil 34 21 7 6 67 34 +33 70 2014 AFC Cup
3 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 34 21 6 7 60 33 +27 69
4 Al-Zawraa 34 18 11 5 61 29 +32 65
5 Dohuk 34 16 10 8 54 35 +19 58
6 Baghdad 34 13 14 7 35 28 +7 53
7 Al-Minaa 34 15 7 12 54 48 +6 52
8 Zakho 34 14 10 10 47 41 +6 52
9 Al-Naft 34 13 7 14 42 43 1 46
10 Naft Al-Janoob 34 9 12 13 47 49 2 0391
11 Najaf 34 10 8 16 34 43 9 38
12 Karbala 34 9 10 15 40 48 8 37
13 Al-Masafi 34 10 7 17 27 38 11 37
14 Al-Talaba 34 9 8 17 35 47 12 35
15 Al-Kahraba (R) 34 9 7 18 30 47 17 0341 Relegation to Iraq Division 1
16 Sulaymaniya (R) 34 9 7 18 37 60 23 34
17 Al-Sinaa (R) 34 4 13 17 23 46 23 25
18 Kirkuk (R) 34 4 6 24 17 74 57 18

Updated to games played on 4 September 2013.
Source: Soccerway
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.
1Al-Kahraba and Naft Al-Janoob were deducted 3 points due to refusing to play after Karabla coach's death incident in round 25. Later on July 27, before round 30, the Iraqi FA Considered both team loss without deducting any points.

Results table

Home ╲ Away KAH MAS MINNFTJAWSHOSINTALZAWBGDDUHERBKRBKRKJANNJFSULZAK
Al-Kahraba 10 01 21 03 11 11 01 01 01 11 35 21 20 Note2 10 10 12
Masafi Al-Wasat 20 01 12 00 23 22 11 01 01 10 11 01 30 10 10 21 21
Al-Minaa 10 00 10 13 21 11 00 01 21 12 23 44 30 02 31 52 21
Al-Naft 12 42 21 22 12 31 12 12 24 00 12 10 32 21 41 02 11
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 31 20 13 00 40 10 21 33 10 21 30 10 30 20 10 20 10
Al-Shorta 00 50 41 22 41 30 11 11 11 43 11 32 10 21 20 40 20
Al-Sinaa 11 10 06 01 21 01 20 10 00 00 11 12 01 11 00 00 01
Al-Talaba 20 01 03 00 12 03 21 12 02 22 22 21 20 01 21 30 23
Al-Zawraa 10 21 00 40 12 12 30 10 22 11 01 22 70 32 10 40 41
Baghdad 00 10 10 10 21 11 21 00 11 12 10 10 11 11 03 32 11
Duhok 10 21 10 01 10 11 11 10 13 20 12 21 40 42 32 40 22
Erbil 21 21 81 01 11 01 10 31 21 10 01 30 60 01 41 41 21
Karbalaa 01 00 10 02 24 01 11 32 02 21 11 11 40 21 11 00 32
Kirkuk 11 01 11 00 03 01 21 21 11 00 04 12 01 12 10 12 01
Naft Al-Janoob 41 11 43 31 01 02 22 11 22 03 11 11 22 20 31 11 33
Najaf 13 10 11 10 31 11 10 31 11 00 21 01 11 10 10 42 11
Sulaymaniya 31 01 01 02 11 11 20 21 02 11 13 23 21 62 10 10 01
Zakho 52 10 23 10 32 00 21 01 00 00 10 12 10 40 22 10 11

Updated to games played on 4 September 2013.
Source: Soccerway
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.

2Al-Kahraba and Naft Al-Janoob were deducted 3 points due to refusing to play after Karabla coach's death incident in round 25. Later on July 27, before round 30, the Iraqi FA Considered both team loss without deducting any points.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of September 4, 2013
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Iraq Amjad Radhi Erbil 25
2 Iraq Alaa Abdul-Zahra Dohuk 20
3 Iraq Mustafa Karim Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 17
4 Iraq Luay Salah Erbil 15
5 Iraq Haidar Sabah Al-Zawraa 11
Iraq Mustafa Jawda Al-Kahraba

Hattricks

Player name Scored for Scored against Goals Result Date of match
Cameroon Jean Michel N'Lend Al-Shorta Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3 4-1 18 November 2012
Iraq Nasser Talla Al-Mina Sulaymaniya 4 5-2 27 January 2013
Iraq Amjad Radhi Erbil Kirkuk 3 6-0 28 January 2013
Iraq Amjad Radhi Erbil Najaf 3 4-1 1 March 2013
Iraq Hasan Hamoud Al-Mina Al-Sinaa 3 6-0 12 April 2013
Iraq Alaa Abdul-Zahra Dohuk Kirkuk 3 4-0 19 April 2013
Iraq Emad Mohammed Al-Zawra Kirkuk 3 7-0 29 April 2013
Iraq Mustafa Jawda Al-Kahraba Erbil 3 3-5 6 May 2013

Media coverage

Iraqi Premier League Media Coverage
Country Television Channel Matches
 Iraq Al-Iraqiya Sports Channel 3 Matches per round

Others

References

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