The 2022–23 Iraqi Second Division League was the 49th season of what is now called the
Iraqi First Division League
The Iraqi First Division League is a Association football, football league that is the third tier of the Iraqi football league system, which was founded in 1974. The league consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...
, the third tier of the
Iraqi football league system
The Iraqi football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in Iraq. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation across leagues at differe ...
, since its establishment in 1974. The number of clubs in the league has varied throughout history for various reasons; in this season the number of clubs was 98 (in addition to 26 pre-qualified teams from the previous season, playing starting from the second round, so the total is 124 teams). The top four teams (top 2 teams in each group) in the Final Qualifiers were promoted directly to the
second tier, while teams that fail to qualify for the second round and finish in the bottom positions in the group ranking table will be relegated directly to the
third tier. The season started on 1 December 2022.
In the Ultimate competing round of the league, in the group 1,
Al-Karma and
Al-Gharraf were able to top the group after each of them achieved 19 points, while in the group 2,
Ghaz Al-Shamal
Ghaz Al-Shamal () is an Iraqi football team based in Kirkuk, that plays in Iraqi Premier Division League.
Current squad First-team squad
Managerial history
* Waleed Mohammed Qader
* Karim Qambel
* Mohammed Qasim
* Jumaa Jodaya
* Nati ...
and
Al-Fahad topped the group after each of them achieved 22 points. All four teams were promoted to the second tier.
It was decided on August 6, to hold the final match to determine the league champion, between the leaders of the group 1, Al-Karma, and the leaders of the group 2, Ghaz Al-Shamal.
The final match was held at
Al-Shaab Stadium
Al-Sha'ab International Stadium () is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium in Baghdad, Iraq. The 35,700-seater was the home stadium of the Iraq national football team, as well as the largest stadium in Iraq, from its opening on 6 November 1966 un ...
in
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
, and Al-Karma was able to beat Ghaz Al-Shamal by
penalty kicks (4–3) after the end of the regular time of the match, with the two teams drawing (1–1).
Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:
To
Iraqi Second Division League
The Iraqi Second Division League is a Association football, football league that is the fourth tier of the Iraqi football league system. The league was founded in 1974, and consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...
Promoted from
Third Division League
*
Abnaa Al-Madina
* Al-Amir
*
Al-Aziziya
* Al-Chibayish
*
Al-Dair
*
Al-Falluja
*
Al-Ghadeer
*
Al-Gharraf
*
Al-Hadbaa
*
Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi
* Al-Intifadha
*
Al-Ishaqi
*
Al-Iskan
*
Al-Izza
*
Al-Jawhara
*
Al-Karma
*
Al-Mahanawiya
*
Al-Mahawil
*
Al-Maqal
*
Al-Osra
*
Al-Shabab Al-Basri
*
Al-Shaheed Arkan
*
Al-Siyaha
*
Al-Tijara
*
Al-Wajihiya
* Al-Zaytoun
* Al-Zubaidiya
*
Aliyat Al-Shorta
*
Anah
Anah or Ana (, ), formerly also known as Anna, is an Iraqi town on the Euphrates approximately midway between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Persian Gulf. Anah lies from west to east on the right bank along a bend of the river just before it tu ...
*
Habbaniyat Al-Sumood
*
Jenaain Babil
* Kafaat Nineveh
*
Masafi Al-Shamal
*
Naft Al-Shamal
* Qandeel
*
Taza
Taza () is a city in northern Morocco occupying the corridor between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains, about 120 km east of Fez and 150 km south of Al Hoceima. It recorded a population of 148,406 in the 2019 Moroccan ...
Relegated from the
First Division League
*
Al-Alam
*
Babil
*
Ghaz Al-Shamal
Ghaz Al-Shamal () is an Iraqi football team based in Kirkuk, that plays in Iraqi Premier Division League.
Current squad First-team squad
Managerial history
* Waleed Mohammed Qader
* Karim Qambel
* Mohammed Qasim
* Jumaa Jodaya
* Nati ...
*
Suq Al-Shuyukh
From Second Division League
Promoted to the
First Division League
*
Al-Etisalat
*
Al-Hawija
*
Al-Jolan
*
Masafi Al-Wasat
Relegated to
Third Division League
*
Al-Ahrar
*
Al-Amara
*
Al-Anbar
*
Al-Hamza
*
Al-Husseiniyah
*
Al-Khairat
*
Al-Fosfat
*
Al-Madhatyia
*
Al-Mohandessin
*
Al-Sadda
*
Al-Taliea
*
Al-Zaeem
*
Baladiyat Al-Nasiriyah
*
Bilad Al-Rafidain
*
Daquq
Daquq (, alternatively ''Ṭawūq'' or ''Ṭa’ūq'', , ), also known as Daqouq, is a city and the urban center of Daquq District in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq. The city is ethnically diverse, with a Kurdish majority and Arab and Turkmen minorit ...
*
Ghaz Al-Janoob
*
Jalawla
Jalawla (, also known as Jalula) is a town in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. It is located on the Diyala River, north of Sadiyah. The town is populated by Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens.
It experienced significant Arabization during the Saddam era. T ...
*
Kahrabaa Al-Hartha
* Khallat
*
New Sirwan
* Peshwa
*
Salahaddin
* Sarchinar
*
Shabab Al-Adil
*
Tarmi
*
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr (, also transliterated as ''Um-qasir'', ''Um-qasser, Um Qasr. Kurdish: ئومقەسڕ, Ûmqêsir'') is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the P ...
Competition format
Schedule
The
Iraqi Second Division League
The Iraqi Second Division League is a Association football, football league that is the fourth tier of the Iraqi football league system. The league was founded in 1974, and consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...
starts with 98 clubs and ends with four qualified clubs according to three rounds, The teams that qualified for the second round
last season and the teams that were relegated from the
Iraqi First Division League
The Iraqi First Division League is a Association football, football league that is the third tier of the Iraqi football league system, which was founded in 1974. The league consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...
in the
2021–22 season moved directly to play in the second round.
First round
The 98 clubs are divided into 16 groups depending on the location, except for the groups of
Dohuk
Duhok (; ; , ) is a city in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. It is the Capital (political), capital city of Duhok Governorate.
Name
The city of Duhok received its name from the Kurdish languages, Kurdish words ’du’ (two) and ’hok’ (lump) as a ...
and
Erbil
Erbil (, ; , ), also called Hawler (, ), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The city is the capital of the Erbil Governorate.
Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC. At the h ...
, each group representing the governorate to which these clubs belong and is located within its borders.
1- Dohuk Group
There are no teams in Dohuk that play in this division.
2- Nineveh Group
3- Erbil Group
There are no teams in Erbil that play in this division.
4- Kirkuk Group
5- Sulaymaniyah Group
6- Saladin Group
7- Al-Anbar Group
8- Baghdad Groups
Group 1
Group 2
9- Diyala Group
10- Karbalaa Group
11- Babil Group
12- Wasit Groups
Group 1
Group 2
13- Al-Najaf Group
14- Al-Qādisiyyah Group
15- Maysan Group
16- Al-Muthanna Group
17- Dhi Qar Group
18- Basra Group
Qualified teams
The 26 pre-qualified teams and the 27 teams coming from the first round are all divided into five groups by location, and these groups have sub-groups. The first from each group is considered a winner, the winning teams advance directly to the third round.
'' Al-Karma replaced Al-Habbaniya.
Second round
The draw for the Central Euphrates Group and Southern Group regions was held on February 21, 2023, and the Western Group on February 22, while the Northern Group draw was held in February 25.
Northern section
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Western section
Group 1
Group 2
Baghdad section
Group 1
Group 2
Central Euphrates section
Group 1
Group 2
Southern section
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Third round
The twelve qualified teams have been divided into two groups, and the first two teams from each group will be promoted to
Iraqi First Division League
The Iraqi First Division League is a Association football, football league that is the third tier of the Iraqi football league system, which was founded in 1974. The league consists of 20 teams split into two groups in the first stage. The top fou ...
, and the draw took place on May 30, 2023.
After the lottery was drawn between the qualified teams,
Al-Qurna was replaced by
Al-Kut, due to the appeal decision issued by the
Football Association
A football association, also known as a football federation, soccer federation, or soccer association, is a governing body for association football. Many of them are members of the sport's regional bodies such as UEFA and CONMEBOL and the world gov ...
, as Al-Kut considered a winner over
Suq Al-Shuyukh with a score 3–0 instead of the draw result with which the match ended, and thus Al-Kut has got on 13 points ahead of Al-Qurna who has 12 points.
Ultimate competing teams
Final Qualifiers
Group 1
Group 2
Final