| Competition: | Iraqi First Division League |
| Season: | 2022–23 |
| Dates: | 18 November 2022 – 2 June 2023 |
| Winners: | Al-Minaa (3rd title) |
| Promoted: | Al-Minaa Amanat Baghdad |
| Relegated: | Al-Hawija Al-Jinsiya Al-Samawa Al-Sulaikh |
| Matches: | 243 |
| Total Goals: | 518 |
| League Topscorer: | Mohammed Hassan (13 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | Al-Minaa 5–0 Al-Sulaikh (27 April 2023) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Masafi Al-Junoob 0–3 Amanat Baghdad (23 November 2022) Al-Nasiriya 0–3 Diyala (13 February 2023) Al-Hawija 1–4 Samarra (20 April 2023) Afak 0–3 Al-Minaa (21 April 2023) Al-Hawija 1–4 Maysan (1 May 2023) Masafi Al-Wasat 0–3 Al-Minaa (2 May 2023) |
| Highest Scoring: | Al-Difaa Al-Madani 4–4 Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya (1 March 2023) |
| Longest Wins: | 5 matches Al-Minaa Diyala |
| Longest Winless: | 8 matches Al-Hawija Al-Difaa Al-Madani |
| Longest Losses: | 5 matches Al-Hawija Al-Sulaikh |
| Prevseason: | 2021–22 |
| Nextseason: | 2023–24 (Iraqi Premier Division League) |
The 2022–23 Iraqi First Division League was the 49th season of what is now called the Iraqi Premier Division League, the second tier of the Iraqi football league system, since its establishment in 1974. The number of clubs in the league have varied throughout history for various reasons. The top two teams are promoted to the Iraq Stars League, while the bottom two teams in each group are directly relegated to the Iraqi Second Division League.[1]
In the last round of the league, in the Group 1, Amanat Baghdad was able to topped the group after achieving 38 points, while in the Group 2, Al-Minaa topped the group after achieving 46 points. Both teams were promoted to the Stars League,[2] [3] and it was decided that the final match between the two teams will be held in Baghdad on May 26, 2023 to determine the league champion.[4] [5] The Al-Minaa administration demanded that the match be transferred to Basra due to the large number of fans of the Al-Minaa, so that the match would be more attended,[6] and the Amanat Baghdad administration agreed to that.[7] Later, the Football Association decided that the match would be held on 2 June in Al-Fayhaa Stadium.[8]
In the final, Al-Minaa was able to defeat Amanat Baghdad, 2–1, and win the title. The goals of Al-Minaa were scored by Sajjad Alaa (6') and Salem Ahmed (37'), while the goal of Amanat Baghdad was scored by Karrar Ali Bari (53').[9] [10]
Al-Jinsiya (who withdrew from the start) and Al-Hawija from Group 1, and Al-Sulaikh and Al-Samawa from Group 2 were relegated to the Iraqi Second Division League after finishing in the bottom positions in the standings.[11]
The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:
Promoted from Iraqi Second Division League
Relegated from the Premier League
Promoted to the Premier League
Relegated to Iraqi Second Division League
In November 2020, The Iraq FA announced that the number of teams will decrease from 28 to 24 in total starting from 2021-2022 season. To make these changes possible, the Iraq FA announced that in 2022–23 season, a two teams are promoted to the Premier League, where the winner and runner-up of each group will play a play-off match, so that the winners will be promoted directly to the Premier League, while 6 teams in total are directly relegated to Second Division League.[12]
On April 8, 2023, the promotion and relegation mechanism was changed, and the Football Association announced the promotion of the winning team in each group directly to the Premier League, and the relegation of the last two teams in the standings in each group to the Second Division League, as a result, two teams are promote and 4 teams are relegate.[13] [14]
On December 27, 2022, the Iraq Football Association decided to stop the championship matches, starting from the ninth round, due to the holding of the Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq, and decided that the championship would resume after the end of the Arabian Gulf Cup.[15] [16] Indeed, the ninth round of the championship resumed on January 18, 2023.[17]
A total of 24 teams are contesting the league, including 17 sides from the 2021–22 season and the 3 relegated sides from the Iraqi Premier League and the 4 promoted sides from the Iraqi Second Division League, because of the recent changes necessary to adjustment to having 24 teams possible this season. The teams were divided into two groups, and the draw was held on October 27, 2022,[18] [19] and it was decided that the championship will start on November 18, 2022.[20]
| Team | Manager | Location | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afak |  Hussein Mohie | Al-Kifl Stadium | 8,000 | ||
| Al-Bahri | Ahmed Rahim | Al-Bahri Stadium | 7,000 | ||
| Adel Ajer | Al-Taji Stadium | 5,000 | |||
| Ahmed Hassan Abdul-Sahib | Baghdad | Al-Taji Stadium | 5,000 | ||
| Al-Hawija | Ali Abboud | Kirkuk | Al-Hawija Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Al-Hussein | Sahl Naeem | Baghdad | Five Thousand Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Al-Jinsiya | vacant | Baghdad | Al-Jinsiya Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Al-Jolan | Mustafa Karim | Al-Fallujah Stadium | 7,000 | ||
| Al-Kufa | Maitham Jaber | Najaf Stadium | 30,000 | ||
| Al-Minaa | Fareed Majeed | Basra | Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium | 30,000 | |
| Al-Muroor | Rashid Sultan | Baghdad | Al-Walaa Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Al-Nasiriya | Aqeel Mohammed | Dhi Qar | An Nasiriya Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Al-Ramadi | Jumaa Jadeea | Al-Anbar | Al Ramadi Stadium | 15,000 | |
| Al-Samawa | Ali Jawad | Muthanna | Al-Samawah Stadium | 15,000 | |
| Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya | Mohammed Ali Karim | Baghdad | Al-Sinaa Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Al-Shirqat | Farhan Hamad | Al-Shirqat Stadium | 5,000 | ||
| Al-Sulaikh | Muthana Khalid | Baghdad | Al-Sulaikh Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Amanat Baghdad | Wissam Talib | Baghdad | Amanat Baghdad Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Diyala | Sadeq Hanoon | Diyala | Diyala Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Masafi Al-Junoob | Abdul Yemma Warwar | Basra | Masafi Al-Junoob Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Masafi Al-Wasat | Ali Majeed | Baghdad | Al-Masafi Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Maysan | Mizher Rahim | Maysan | Maysan Stadium | 25,000 | |
| Peshmerga Sulaymaniya | Qusay Hashim | Sulaymaniyah | Peshmerga Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Samarra | Ali Wahab | Saladin | Samarra Stadium | 10,000 |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in the group | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya | Safaa Adnan | Sacked | 2 November 2022 | Pre-season | Mudhafar Jabbar | 2 November 2022 | |
| Al-Ramadi | Thair Jassam | Sacked | 24 November 2022 | 11th | Mohammed Hammad | 24 November 2022 | |
| Al-Samawa | Aqeel Ghani | Sacked | 26 November 2022 | 10th | Haider Hussien | 26 November 2022 | |
| Samarra | Nihad Ghazi | Sacked | 2 December 2022 | 9th | Zahed Qasim | 2 December 2022 | |
| Al-Nasiriya | Dhiaa Abdul-Nabi | Sacked | 6 December 2022 | 12th | Mubarak Matar | 6 December 2022 | |
| Masafi Al-Junoob | Sacked | 14 December 2022 | 11th | Abdul Yemma Warwar | 14 December 2022 | ||
| Al-Samawa | Haider Hussien | Sacked | 15 December 2022 | 12th | Ali Jawad | 19 December 2022 | |
| Al-Sulaikh | Hazem Saleh | Sacked | 19 December 2022 | 11th | Muthana Khalid | 2 January 2023 | |
| Al-Jolan | Ali Wahab | Sacked | 26 December 2022 | 5th | Mustafa Karim | 4 January 2023 | |
| Samarra | Zahed Qasim | Sacked | 3 January 2023 | 11th | Ali Wahab | 3 January 2023 | |
| Al-Nasiriya | Mubarak Matar | End of interim spell | 12 January 2023 | 12th | Mohsin Abdul-Nabi | 12 January 2023 | |
| Al-Hawija | Adel Khudhair | Sacked | 21 January 2023 | 10th | Ali Abboud | 21 January 2023 | |
| Afak | Haider Abbas | Sacked | 22 January 2023 | 10th | Haider Hussein | 22 January 2023 | |
| Al-Ramadi | Mohammed Hammad | Sacked | 1 February 2023 | 5th | Sadeq Hanoon | 1 February 2023 | |
| Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya | Mudhafar Jabbar | Mutual consent | 11 February 2023 | 5th | Mohammed Ali Karim | 11 February 2023 | |
| Al-Nasiriya | Mohsin Abdul-Nabi | Mutual consent | 4 March 2023 | 11th | Aqeel Mohammed | 8 March 2023 | |
| Afak | Haider Hussein | Sacked | 13 March 2023 | 8th | Hussein Mohie | 13 March 2023 | |
| Al-Ramadi | Sadeq Hanoon | Mutual consent | 16 March 2023 | 7th | Jumaa Jadeea | 17 March 2023 | |
| Al-Jolan | Mustafa Karim | Mutual consent | 20 March 2023 | 1st | Hazem Saleh | 20 March 2023 | |
| Al-Etisalat | Hamza Dawood | Mutual consent | 30 March 2023 | 10th | Ahmed Hassan Abdul-Sahib | 1 April 2023 | |
| Al-Jolan | Hazem Saleh | Mutual consent | 1 April 2023 | 2nd | Mustafa Karim | 1 April 2023 | |
| Diyala | Ali Abdullah | Sacked | 1 April 2023 | 3rd | Sadeq Hanoon | 2 April 2023 | |
| Al-Minaa | Basim Qasim | Sacked | 20 May 2023 | 1st | Fareed Majeed | 20 May 2023 |
| GK | 22 | Ali Faisal | ||
| RB | 30 | Karrar Jumaa | ||
| CB | 42 | Abdullah Mohsin (c) | ||
| CB | 33 | Abbas Yas | ||
| LB | 36 | Hassan Odah | ||
| CM | 37 | Haider Salem | ||
| CM | 15 | Mohammed Khudhair | ||
| CM | 7 | |||
| RF | 12 | |||
| CF | 18 | |||
| LF | 26 | |||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| GK | 1 | Jaafar Shenaishil | ||
| DF | 17 | Haider Sari | ||
| MF | 28 | Hamza Hadi Ahmed | ||
| MF | 47 | Mohammed Salah | ||
| DF | 55 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Fareed Majeed | ||||
| GK | 21 | Sarhang Muhsin (c) | ||
| RB | 4 | Milad Falah | ||
| CB | 44 | Mohammed Musa | ||
| CB | 14 |  Yousef Al-Alousi | ||
| LB | 13 | Ayman Rezayej | ||
| CM | 42 |  Babacar Charles Faye | ||
| CM | 7 |  Sadia Olivier Bleu | ||
| CM | 9 | Karrar Ali Bari | ||
| RF | 10 | Jabbar Karim | ||
| CF | 31 |  Oladayo Alabi | ||
| LF | 11 | Muntadhar Rahim | ||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 17 | Mustafa Falah | ||
| GK | 23 | Munther Najem | ||
| FW | 28 | Mohammed Ahmed | ||
| DF | 39 | Ahmed Nadhim | ||
| MF | 77 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Wissam Talib | ||||
Match rules
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammed Hassan | Maysan | 13 |
| 2 | Omar Attallah | Al-Shirqat | 12 |
| 3 | Salem Ahmed | Al-Minaa | 11 |
| 4 | Ismaël Mohamed | Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya | 8 |
| Ali Karim | Diyala | ||
| 6 |  Dioguinho | Al-Minaa | 7 |
| Saleh Motlaq | Peshmerga Sulaymaniya | ||
| Aba-Thar Abdul-Sada | Masafi Al-Wasat | ||
| 9 | Michael Ohanu | Al-Bahri | 6 |
| Al-Minaa | |||
| Mohammed Abbas | Peshmerga Sulaymaniya | ||
| Donatus Edafe | Al-Jolan |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullah Ammar | Al-Difaa Al-Madani | Al-Etisalat | 3–0 (H) | 18 December 2022 | |
| Mohammed Hassan | Maysan | Al-Hawija | 4–1 (A) | 1 May 2023 |