| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3 May 2021 – 16 July 2021 |
| Champions | Al-Sinaa (1st title) |
| Promoted | Al-Sinaa Newroz Samarra |
| Relegated | Akkad Al-Ettifaq Al-Jaish Brayati |
| Matches played | 184 |
| Goals scored | 469 (2.55 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Samer Mohsin (12 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Babil 5–0 Al-Ettifaq (8 June 2021) |
| Biggest away win | Suq Al-Shuyukh 1–4 Masafi Al-Janoob (2 June 2021) |
| Highest scoring | Diyala 4–3 Al-Ramadi (4 March 2021) Al-Muroor 3–4 Samarra (4 March 2021) |
| Longest winning run | 6 matches Al-Sinaa |
| Longest unbeaten run | 14 matches Al-Sinaa |
| Longest winless run | 12 matches Akkad Maysan |
| Longest losing run | 9 matches Brayati |
| ← 2019–20 2021–22 → All statistics correct as of 30 July 2021. | |
The 2020–21 Iraqi First Division League was the 47th 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 changed throughout history due to several factors, most recently in this season when the number of clubs increased from 12 to 28 in total. The top team from each group is directly promoted to the Premier League, while a third club can be promoted through play-offs, on the other hand, two clubs from each group are directly relegated to the Second Division League.
Al-Sinaa won the title and were promoted alongside runners-up Newroz.
Format
Teams from all over Iraq participated in preliminary qualifications for the final stage. Total of 16 teams qualified for the final stage and 12 teams joined from previous season.
There was no First Division League nor Premier League season completed in the prior year due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Teams
Stadiums and locations
Baghdad
Al-AlamAl-ShirqatSamarraNewrozPeshmergaGhaz Al-ShamalAl-BahriMasafi Al-JanoobDiyalaAl-RamadiBabylonKarbalaaAl-KufaAfakAl-EttefaqBrayatiMaysanAkkadAl-NasiriyaSuq Al-ShuyukhDuhok
Baghdad teamsAl-Difaa Al-Madani
Al-Hussein
Al-Jaish
Al-Jinsiya
Al-Muroor
Al-Sinaa
Al-Sulaikh
class=notpageimage| Locations of the 2020–21 Iraqi First Division League teams
A total of 28 teams are contesting the league, including 10 sides from the 2018-2019 season, 16 promoted teams from the preliminary qualifications for the final stage and the two relegated sides from the Premier League.
League table
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newroz (P) | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 11 | +16 | 30 | Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League |
| 2 | Afak | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 13 | +13 | 29 | Qualification for the Third-place play-off |
| 3 | Masafi Al-Janoob | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 25 | |
| 4 | Al-Difaa Al-Madani | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 20 | |
| 5 | Al-Shirqat | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 19 | |
| 6 | Karbalaa | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 19 | |
| 7 | Al-Alam | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Al-Hussein | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 19 | −2 | 15 | |
| 9 | Suq Al-Shuyukh | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 15 | |
| 10 | Al-Kufa | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 19 | −4 | 12 | |
| 11 | Ghaz Al-Shamal | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 18 | −5 | 12 | |
| 12 | Al-Jinsiya | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 11 | |
| 13 | Al-Jaish (R) | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 20 | −8 | 10 | Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League |
| 14 | Brayati (R) | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 29 | −16 | 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
| Home \ Away | AFK | ALM | DFM | HUS | JSH | JIN | KUF | SRQ | BRA | GSH | KRB | MSJ | NEW | SUQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afak | — | — | 1–1 | 4–2 | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 4–1 | 3–2 | — | — | 2–0 | — |
| Al-Alam | 1–1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | — | 0–0 |
| Al-Difaa Al-Madani | — | 2–3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 3–0 |
| Al-Hussein | — | 2–2 | 0–0 | — | — | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | — | 1–2 | — | — | 2–2 | 0–1 |
| Al-Jaish | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Al-Jinsiya | — | 1–3 | 0–0 | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — |
| Al-Kufa | — | 0–0 | 3–3 | 1–2 | — | 1–2 | — | — | — | 1–0 | — | — | 2–2 | — |
| Al-Shirqat | 2–3 | — | — | — | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | — | 4–1 | — | 3–0 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 |
| Brayati | — | 2–3 | — | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | — | — | 0–1 | — | — | 1–3 | — |
| Ghaz Al-Shamal | — | — | — | — | 2–4 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | — | — | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Karbalaa | 1–1 | — | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | — | — | 2–2 | — | 3–2 |
| Masafi Al-Janoob | 0–0 | — | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Newroz | — | 3–1 | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | 2–0 | 4–2 | — | 4–0 |
| Suq Al-Shuyukh | 1–2 | — | — | — | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | — | — | 1–4 | — | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Sinaa (C, P) | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 35 | Promotion to the Iraqi Premier League |
| 2 | Samaraa (O, P) | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 27 | Qualification for the Third-place play-off |
| 3 | Al-Ramadi | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 14 | +10 | 25 | |
| 4 | Duhok | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 13 | +4 | 25 | |
| 5 | Al-Bahri | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 20 | |
| 6 | Al-Muroor | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 17 | |
| 7 | Al-Nasiriya | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 17 | |
| 8 | Al-Sulaikh | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 14 | −1 | 15 | |
| 9 | Peshmerga | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 18 | −4 | 15 | |
| 10 | Diyala | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 23 | −2 | 14 | |
| 11 | Babil | 13 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 10 | |
| 12 | Maysan | 13 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 19 | −10 | 10 | |
| 13 | Akkad (R) | 13 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 22 | −9 | 8 | Relegation to Iraqi Second Division League |
| 14 | Al-Ettefaq (R) | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 27 | −16 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
| Home \ Away | AKD | BAH | ETF | MUR | NAS | RAM | SIN | SUL | BAB | DIY | DUH | MAY | PES | SAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akkad | — | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | — | — | — | 0–1 | — | — | 2–4 |
| Al-Bahri | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | — |
| Al-Ettefaq | — | 1–2 | — | — | — | — | 1–3 | 1–1 | — | 2–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | — |
| Al-Muroor | — | 1–1 | 4–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | — | 1–0 | — | — | — | — | 3–4 |
| Al-Nasiriya | — | — | 0–1 | — | — | 1–0 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | — | — | 0–2 |
| Al-Ramadi | — | 1–0 | 2–1 | — | — | — | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | — | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | — |
| Al-Sinaa | 2–2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | — |
| Al-Sulaikh | 2–0 | — | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | — | — | — | 2–2 | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| Babil | 1–1 | — | 5–0 | — | — | — | 0–1 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–2 | — |
| Diyala | 2–2 | 0–2 | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | 4–3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1–2 |
| Duhok | — | — | — | 2–0 | — | — | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | 2–1 | — |
| Maysan | 1–1 | — | — | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | — | 0–0 | 3–2 |
| Peshmerga | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 4–2 |
| Samaraa | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | — | — | 3–2 | 0–0 | — | 2–2 | — | 2–0 | — | — | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Notes:
- The Al-Bahri–Peshmerga match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Bahri, as Peshmerga did not turn up for the game.
- The Samarra–Al-Ettefaq match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Samarra, as Al-Ettefaq did not turn up for the game.
Third place
| Afak | 0 – 1 | Samaraa |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Adnan  38' (pen.) |
Final
| Newroz | 0 – 1 | Al-Sinaa |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Keke 82' |
Play-offs
| Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya | 1 – 1 | Samaraa |
|---|---|---|
| Mahmoud 57' (pen.) |
Report | Adnan  38’Mohammed 53' |
| Penalties | ||
| 2–4 | ||
Season statistics
- As of 16 July 2021
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samer Mohsin
|
Afak | 12 |
| 2 | Hussein Ibrahim
|
Al-Alam | 10 |
| Ahmed Turki
|
Akkad | ||
| 4 | Salih Motlaq
|
Samarra | 9 |
| 5 |  Donatus Edafe
|
Al-Nasiriya | 8 |
| Fadhel Wasmi
|
Masafi Al-Janoob | ||
| Ahmed Sabri
|
Duhok | ||
| 8 |  Cissé
|
Al-Ramadi | 7 |
| Husham Ahmed
|
Al-Difaa Al-Madani | ||
| Jean-Christian Keke
|
Al-Sinaa |
References
- mo22. "اعتماد تصنيف وآلية وموعد انطلاق دوري الدرجة الأولى". الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - mo22. "لجنة المسابقات تجري قرعة دوري الدرجة الأولى". الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "دوري الدرجة الاولى – الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم" (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-05-04.