2002–03 Iraqi First Division League Explained

Season:	2002–03
Winners:	N/A (season cancelled)
Competition:	Iraqi First Division League
Continentalcup1:	2003 Arab Unified Club Championship
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:	Al-Shorta
Continentalcup2:	2004 AFC Champions League
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:	Al-Shorta Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Continentalcup3:	2003–04 Arab Champions League
Continentalcup3 Qualifiers:	Al-Zawraa Al-Talaba
Prevseason:	2001–02 (Iraqi Elite League)
Nextseason:	2003–04 (Iraqi Premier League)

The 2002–03 Iraqi First Division League was the 29th season of the top-tier Iraqi national football league since its establishment in 1974. Organised by the Iraq Football Association (IFA), the league's name was changed to Iraqi First Division League, and it started on 6 September 2002.

27 rounds of the league were played before the 2003 invasion of Iraq began on 20 March 2003.^[1] Despite the outbreak of the Iraq War, matches continued with free entry for spectators, and games from rounds 28 and 29 were played in the midst of the conflict.^{[2] [3]} The last matches were played on 28 March before the league stopped and Saddam Hussein's government was overthrown, leading to the formation of a new IFA committee.^[4]

The IFA revealed on 6 May that it was considering holding a play-off between the top four Baghdad clubs to decide who would qualify for the 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship.^[5] However, the IFA then announced on 30 May that Al-Shorta had been chosen to participate as they were leading the league table at the end of round 27 before the outbreak of war.^{[6] [7]} The IFA later announced that the 2002–03 league competition had been cancelled and that the league table at the end of round 27 would also be used to determine the clubs that qualified for the Baghdad Championship and the AFC Champions League.^{[8] [9]}

Season statistics

Hat-tricks

See main article: List of Iraq Stars League hat-tricks.

Player^[10]	For !	Against	Result	Date
			4–1
			3–1
			3–0
^4			5–1
			8–0
			4–0
			4–1
			3–1
			3–0
			5–0
			5–1
			4–1
			6–1
			4–1
			3–2

Notes⁴ Player scored 4 goals

External links

• Iraq Football Association

Notes and References

1. Web site: الدوري العراقي. 29 March 2003.
2. Web site: استمرار منافسات الدوري العراقي رغم الحرب يثير استغراب المراقبين. 3 April 2003. Al-Tuwaijri. Abdul-Aziz. Asharq Al-Awsat.
3. News: Un hijo de Sadam pide que la Liga de fútbol iraquí continúe pese a la guerra. 28 March 2003. El País.
4. Web site: القنابل الاميركية لم تحل دون استمرار الدوري العراقي. 28 March 2003. Kitz. Sami. MEO News. 16 May 2020. 1 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200901214355/https://meo.news/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%84-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A. dead.
5. Web site: العراقي حسين سعيد: جاهزون لمقابلة الفرق الكويتية وأنديتنا عادت لتدريباتها. 6 May 2003. Qadri Hassan. Mohammed. Asharq Al-Awsat.
6. Web site: راضي رئيس اتحاد الكرة العراقي: ادعاءات عمو بابا كاذبة وهو دائم الاستجداء. 30 May 2003. Qadri Hassan. Mohammed. Asharq Al-Awsat.
7. Web site: منتخب فلسطين الأولمبي يستعين بلاعبين من تشيلي لملاقاة الكويت السبت. 3 June 2003. Qadri Hassan. Mohammed. Asharq Al-Awsat.
8. Web site: الاتحاد العراقي المركزي لكرة القدم تعليمات ونشاطات الموسم الرياضي 2003-2004. 25 September 2003.
9. Web site: Al-Najaf to participate in the Asian Champions League. 14 October 2003. Iraq Soccer. https://web.archive.org/web/20040117023542/http://www.iraqsoccer.net/cgi-bin/news.cgi?newsid=182. 2004-01-17.
10. Web site: Iraq 2002/03. . 25 July 2019.