| Iraq FA Cup | |
| Year: | 2015–16 |
| Dates: | 5 October 2015 – 29 May 2016 |
| Num Teams: | 31 |
| Champions: | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (4th title) |
| Runner-Up: | Al-Zawraa |
| Matches: | 37 |
| Goals: | 97 |
| Top Goal Scorer: | Luay Salah (6 goals) |
| Prevseason: | 2012–13 |
| Nextseason: | 2016–17 |
The 2015–16 Iraq FA Cup was the 27th edition of the Iraqi knockout football cup as a club competition, the main domestic cup in Iraqi football. It was the second edition held after the 2002–03 edition, although the 2012–13 one was abandoned.
At first, thirty-nine teams were set to participate in the competition, but after the withdrawals of many of the Iraqi Premier League teams, only days before the second round, clubs including Al-Shorta, Al-Talaba, Al-Hudood, Al-Sinaa, Naft Maysan, Al-Najaf, Zakho, and Al-Kahrabaa,[1] a total of twelve teams from the Iraqi Premier League and nineteen from Iraqi First Division League ended up participating. It began on 5 October 2015 and ended on 29 May 2016 with the final at the Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad.
The winner of the competition was Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya who won their fourth cup by defeating record winners Al-Zawraa 2–0 in the final. Therefore, they qualified for the 2017 AFC Cup.
The cup starts with a qualifying round of the 19 teams from the Iraqi First Division League, 14 of which play against each other and 5 of which automatically proceed to the next round. The 20 (later becoming 12) teams from the Iraqi Premier League join the other teams in the Round of 32.[2]
For the first round, the participating teams will be split into two pots of 9 teams in one and 10 in the other. For the remaining rounds other than the final, the draw will be conducted from just one pot. The final is held in the Al-Shaab Stadium, a nominally neutral venue.
Teams meet in one game in the first round, round of 32 and round of 16. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, the teams will have two-legged ties. The final will have only one-leg. A match will take place for 90 minutes, with two halves of 45 minutes. If still tied after regulation or tied on aggregate, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout. A coin toss will decide who takes the first penalty.
If a player receives a second yellow card, they will be banned from the next cup match. If a player receives a red card, they will be banned a minimum of one match, but more can be added by the Iraq Football Association.
The following 31 teams participated in the competition:
| Iraqi Premier League 12 clubs from the 2015–16 season | Iraqi First Division League 19 clubs from the 2015–16 season | |
The rounds of the 2015–16 competition are scheduled as follows:
| Round | Draw date and time | Matches dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 1 September 2015 | 5–6 October 2015 | |
| Second round | 4 November 2015 | 10–12 November 2015 | |
| Round of 16 | 16–17 November 2015 | ||
| Quarter-finals | 15 December 2015 | 19 December 2015 – 2 January 2016 | |
| Semi-finals | 21 December 2015 | 9–16 January 2016 | |
| Final | 4 April 2016 | 29 May 2016 |
The first round was drawn on 1 September 2015 at 12:00 in the Iraq Football Association building in Baghdad by the Director of the Competitions Committee Shihab Ahmed.[3] The matches took place from 5–6 October 2015.[4]
Diyala, Al-Sulaikh, Al-Saha, Balad, and Al-Kufa gained automatic qualification to the Second Round.
The Second Round and the Round of 16 were drawn on 4 November 2015 at 12:00 in the Iraq Football Association building in Baghdad by the Director of the Competitions Committee Shihab Ahmed.[5] The matches took place from 10–12 November 2015.
Al-Khutoot, Naft Al-Junoob, Naft Al-Wasat, Al-Saha, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Jaish, Balad, and Duhok gained automatic qualification to the Round of 16 after the withdrawals of their respective opponents: Al-Shorta, Al-Talaba, Al-Hudood, Al-Sinaa, Naft Maysan, Al-Najaf, Zakho, and Al-Kahrabaa in the Second Round.
Round of 16 matches took place from 16–17 November 2015.
The draw for the quarterfinals was held on 15 December 2015 at 12:00 in the Iraq Football Association building in Baghdad by the Director of the Competitions Committee Shihab Ahmed.[6] The matches took place from 19–27 December 2015.
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Duhok won 3–2 on aggregate.----Naft Al-Junoob won 6–3 on aggregate.----Al-Zawraa won 4–3 on aggregate.----Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Al-Zawraa won 4–1 on aggregate.----4–4 on aggregate. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won on away goals.
See main article: 2016 Iraq FA Cup Final.
From the Round of 16 onwards:
The broadcasting rights were bought by Ishtar Cinema Production Co. Ltd from the Iraq Football Association for five seasons in the start of the 2015–16 season.[7] Al-Iraqiya Sport signed a protocol with the company to televise the FA Cup and the Iraqi Premier League matches. From the first round until the second legs of the semifinals, no channel was interested in buying the FA Cup matches' rights. On 10 January 2016, Al-Iraqiya Sport bought the rights of the last three games of the competition.[8] However, the administrative board of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya refused to televise their match against Duhok on live TV.[9] On 4 April, the director of the production company, Mohammed Haijal, announced that the broadcasting rights of the final were given to Al-Kass Sports Channel.[10]
| Round | Live TV games | |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Iraqiya Sport Channel | ||
| Semifinals | Al-Zawraa vs Naft Al-Junoob | |
| beIN Sports Al-Kass Sports Channel Al-Iraqiya Sport Channel | ||
| Final | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya vs Al-Zawraa | |