2023 Iraqi Republic Championship Explained

Tourney Name:Iraqi Republic Championship
Year:2023
Other Titles:Arabic: بطولة الجمهورية العراقية
City:All 18 provinces
Dates:7 August – 27 September
Num Teams:19
Champion Other:Salahaddin XI
Second Other:Baghdad Karkh XI
Matches:45
Goals:140

The 2023 Iraqi Republic Championship was a newly-returned friendly tournament organised by the Iraq Football Association. All 18 governorates of Iraq were represented in this tournament. The tournament started in August 2023, during the off-season of the Iraqi Premier League. This was the tournament's first edition in over 30 years.[1] [2] [3] Salahaddin XI beat Baghdad Karkh XI in the final on 27 September to win the tournament.[4]

Format

All 18 provinces of Iraq were represented in the tournament. Baghdad was represented by two teams from Karkh and Rusafa, the two sides of Baghdad city separated by the Tigris River. Each team, governed by the sub-federation in that province, formed a select team to compete and appointed both the coaching and administrative staff. The coaches then called up players, who play for the province that they are originally from.

Iraqi Republic Championship!Northern Region!Western Region!Baghdad Region!Middle Euphrates Region!Southern Region
Duhok XI

Erbil XI

Sulaymaniya XI

Kirkuk XI

Nineveh XI

Salahaddin XI

Diyala XI

Anbar XI

Baghdad Karkh XI

Baghdad Rusafa XI

Karbala XI

Babil XI

Najaf XI

Qadisiya XI

Muthanna XI

Wasit XI

Dhi Qar XI

Maysan XI

Basra XI

Each team played at the following stadiums:
Team/Province ! width="50%"
Stadium
Duhok XIDuhok Stadium
Erbil XIFranso Hariri Stadium
Sulaymaniya XISulaymaniya Stadium
Kirkuk XIKirkuk Olympic Stadium
Nineveh XIAl-Amwaj Al-Mosuli Stadium
Salahaddin XITikrit University Stadium
Diyala XIBaquba Stadium
Anbar XIAl-Sufiya Stadium
Baghdad Karkh XIAl-Zawraa Stadium
Baghdad Rusafa XIAl-Shaab Stadium
Karbala XIKarbala Local Administrative Stadium
Babil XIAl-Kifl Stadium
Najaf XIAl-Najaf Stadium
Qadisiya XIAl-Diwaniya Stadium
Muthanna XIAl-Samawa Stadium
Wasit XIAl-Kut Olympic Stadium
Dhi Qar XISuq Al-Shuyukh Stadium/Al-Shatra Stadium
Maysan XIAl-Maimouna Stadium
Basra XIAl-Minaa Olympic Stadium (secondary pitch)

Each team initially played against other teams within their own region as qualifiers for the knockout stages. The top two teams from each of the four regions qualified for the next round, joining the Karkh and Rusafa teams in the Baghdad region to make up the 10 teams in the next phase. They were divided into two groups, and the top of each group played against each other in the final of the tournament.[5]

Tie-breakers of groups relied on goals scored rather than goal difference to encourage offensive play in order to make the football played at the tournament more appealing.

Regional stage

Northern Region

Western Region

Middle Euphrates Region

Southern Region

Second stage

Qualified Teams

Iraqi Republic Championship!Northern Region!Western Region!Baghdad Region!Middle Euphrates Region!Southern Region
Kirkuk XI

Erbil XI

Salahaddin XI

Nineveh XI

Baghdad Karkh XI (bye)

Baghdad Rusafa XI (bye)

Karbala XI

Najaf XI

Wasit XI

Maysan XI

Group 1

Group 2

Final

Notes and References

  1. Web site: الاتحاد العراقي يعيد إحياء بطولة الجمهورية لمحافظات العراق. ar. kooora.com. 2023-07-18.
  2. Web site: اتحاد الكرة يطلق بطولة الجمهورية - وكالة الأنباء العراقية. ar. ina.iq.
  3. Web site: الاتحاد العراقيّ لكُرةِ القدم يطلق بطولة الجمهورية - موسوعة. ar. faceiraq.org.
  4. Web site: https://www.facebook.com/iraqfa/posts/pfbid02Ai6diTEbeKm2j6AT2DoEpAudrDqkXXQmhQ3vz2DeBo1g4GdQTN2SwCYBdk1msV9ql?__cft__[0=AZW1r9ESoZEgRvJVFxOTOrsqkhGgI09EDjsRamDP1Ap2NPbKcCgVulCH7wXGZH9daKUl0bEnl4wMkcg2zmByPzlZ6L8fTvEI1TEtwOex0OFYDXH2rvv21KZj2lLSIpOC5cxWlHw6LFdkflJMK1oKt2uRj0r9V1-36D6Alyfd8YiKGcBV3QduPtk22ONii-hjiUPeYmlhUR2UCUFvBipTcJGN&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R منتخب صلاح الدين بطلاً لبطولة الجمهورية لمنتخبات المحافظات 2023]. ar. facebook.com/iraqfa. 2023-09-27.
  5. Web site: الاتحاد العراقي يحدد موعد وآلية انطلاق بطولة الجمهورية. ar. shafaq.com. 2023-07-28.