2007–08 Iraqi Premier League

The 2007–08 Iraqi Premier League season started on 26 November 2007 and ended on 24 August 2008. The season saw Erbil crowned as champions for the second time in a row, beating Al-Zawraa 1–0 after extra time in the final.

Iraqi Premier League
Season2007–08
ChampionsErbil
(2nd title)
RelegatedAl-Furat
Sirwan
Al-Jaish
Al-Shuala
Al-Adala
Al-Shatra
Zakho
AFC CupErbil
Al-Zawraa
Arab Champions LeagueAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Top goalscorerAsaad Abdul-Nabi
(14 goals)
Biggest home winKarbala 5–0 Al-Furat
(7 December 2007)
Biggest away winAl-Jaish 1–8 Al-Kahrabaa
(15 December 2007)
Al-Shuala 0–7 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(18 December 2007)
Highest scoringAl-Ramadi 2–7 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(8 December 2007)
Al-Jaish 1–8 Al-Kahrabaa
(15 December 2007)
Al-Shuala 0–7 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(18 December 2007)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 6–3 Kirkuk
(17 July 2008)

For security reasons, the league was divided into three groups: South, North and Central. The top six clubs from the Central Group and the top four clubs from the North and South Groups qualified for the Elite Stage. The Elite Stage consisted of three groups, of which the winners and one runner-up qualified for the Golden Stage, a knockout contest. The Golden Stage matches were held at Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad.

The champions and runners-up qualified for the 2009 AFC Cup, while third-placed Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya qualified for the 2008–09 Arab Champions League.[1]

New rule

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The Iraq Football Association introduced a new rule that allowed clubs to make four substitutions instead of three.

Group stage

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North Group

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Erbil 14 9 4 1 21 5 +16 31 Qualified to Elite Stage
2 Duhok 14 9 3 2 16 6 +10 30
3 Peris 14 6 4 4 20 16 +4 22
4 Kirkuk 14 6 3 5 18 17 +1 21
5 Sulaymaniya 14 4 7 3 16 17 −1 19
6 Samarra 14 3 5 6 10 16 −6 14
7 Sirwan 14 2 4 8 9 14 −5 10 Relegated to the Iraqi First Division League
8 Zakho 14 0 4 10 5 24 −19 4
Source: Goalzz

Note: Al-Mosul withdrew from the league.

Results

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Home \ Away ERB DUH KRK PER SMR SIR SUL ZKO
Erbil 0–1 2–0 1–0 4–1 1–0 4–0 0–0
Duhok 1–2 0–1 2–1 0–0 2–1 2–1 1–0
Kirkuk 0–2 0–1 2–3 1–0 3–1 2–2 2–0
Peris 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 0–0 3–3 3–0[a]
Samarra 1–2 0–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 3–2
Sirwan 0–0 0–0 0–1 0–1 0–1 1–2 3–0
Sulaymaniya 0–0 0–0 3–1 1–3 0–0 2–0 1–0
Zakho 0–2 0–3[a] 1–3 1–2 0–0 1–1 0–0
Source: Goalzz
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Zakho's matches with Peris (1–1) and Duhok (0–0) were both awarded as 3–0 defeats for Zakho as a penalty for using an ineligible player.

Central Group

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Shorta 22 13 8 1 40 14 +26 47 Qualified to Elite Stage
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 22 14 4 4 42 13 +29 46
3 Al-Kahrabaa 22 10 8 4 30 10 +20 38
4 Al-Zawraa 22 10 7 5 24 12 +12 37
5 Al-Talaba 22 9 9 4 25 17 +8 36
6 Al-Sinaa 22 9 8 5 24 16 +8 35
7 Al-Bareed 22 8 6 8 25 29 −4 30
8 Al-Naft 22 6 9 7 18 24 −6 27
9 Al-Ramadi 22 5 6 11 26 42 −16 21
10 Al-Jaish 22 3 6 13 14 39 −25 15 Relegated to the Iraqi First Division League
11 Al-Shuala 22 3 4 15 14 44 −30 13
12 Al-Adala 22 3 3 16 11 33 −22 12
Source: Goalzz

Results

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Home \ Away ADL BRD JSH KAH NFT JAW RAM SHO SHL SIN TAL ZAW
Al-Adala 2–1 0–2 0–3 0–0 0–1 0–2 0–1 0–1 0–2 2–3 1–1
Al-Bareed 2–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 0–2 3–3 1–4 1–1 3–2 0–0 2–2
Al-Jaish 1–0 0–1 1–8 2–2 0–3 1–3 0–3 0–0 0–1 0–0 0–2
Al-Kahrabaa 1–1 4–2 2–0 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–1 1–0 0–1 2–0 0–0
Al-Naft 2–1 1–0 2–2 0–0 0–0 3–1 1–1 2–1 0–0 0–2 1–2
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 3–0[a] 2–0 1–1 1–0
Al-Ramadi 1–0 2–1 1–2 0–4 2–2 2–7 1–1 1–2 0–2 0–1 0–0
Al-Shorta 3–1 2–0 4–1 0–0 3–0 2–0 4–2 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–0
Al-Shuala 1–2 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–1 0–7 2–3 0–3 1–3 1–3 0–5
Al-Sinaa 2–0 1–2 1–0 1–1 3–0 0–2 0–0 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–0
Al-Talaba 2–0 2–1 1–1 0–0 1–0 1–2 1–1 0–0 3–0 0–0 0–1
Al-Zawraa 1–0 0–0 2–0 0–0 0–0 1–3 2–0 1–2 1–0 1–0 2–0
Source: Goalzz
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ The Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya–Al-Shuala match was awarded as a 3–0 win to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, as Al-Shuala did not turn up for the game.

South Group

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Karbala 16 12 2 2 27 12 +15 38 Qualified to Elite Stage
2 Al-Najaf 16 9 5 2 23 9 +14 32
3 Al-Minaa 16 8 6 2 19 10 +9 30
4 Naft Al-Junoob 16 5 6 5 16 14 +2 21
5 Maysan 16 4 7 5 16 17 −1 19
6 Al-Kufa 16 4 5 7 13 15 −2 17
7 Al-Samawa 16 3 7 6 11 18 −7 16
8 Al-Furat 16 4 2 10 17 33 −16 14 Relegated to the Iraqi First Division League
9 Al-Shatra 16 2 2 12 12 26 −14 8
Source: Goalzz

Results

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Home \ Away FUR KUF MIN NJF SAM SHT KRB MAY NFJ
Al-Furat 1–4 1–0 1–2 3–0 2–1 2–4 1–3 0–2
Al-Kufa 0–0 0–1 0–1 1–0 3–2 1–2 2–2 1–0
Al-Minaa 2–0 2–0 0–0 2–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 3–3
Al-Najaf 3–1 0–0 0–1 2–0 1–0 2–1 4–1 3–0
Al-Samawa 2–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 1–1
Al-Shatra 2–3 1–0 1–1 1–3 2–2 1–2 0–2 0–1
Karbala 5–0 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–1
Maysan 1–1 0–0 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 1–0
Naft Al-Junoob 2–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 2–1 3–0 1–2 0–0
Source: Goalzz
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Elite stage

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Group 1

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ERB JAW KRK MIN SIN
1 Erbil 8 4 2 2 9 5 +4 14 Qualified to Semi-finals 1–0 1–0 2–2 1–0
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 8 4 1 3 10 8 +2 13 Qualified to Semi-final playoff 2–1 6–3 1–0 1–0
3 Kirkuk 8 3 1 4 8 9 −1 10 1–0 2–0 2–0 0–0
4 Al-Minaa 8 2 3 3 6 8 −2 9 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–1
5 Al-Sinaa 8 2 3 3 4 7 −3 9 0–3 0–0 1–0 2–1
Source: Goalzz

Group 2

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification DUH KRB TAL NFJ KAH
1 Duhok 8 5 3 0 12 3 +9 18 Qualified to Semi-finals 0–0 2–0 1–0 2–2
2 Karbala 8 4 4 0 9 4 +5 16 Qualified to Semi-final playoff 0–0 1–1 2–0 2–1
3 Al-Talaba 8 1 4 3 4 7 −3 7 0–1 0–0 0–1 2–2
4 Naft Al-Junoob 8 2 1 5 6 11 −5 7 1–2 1–2 0–0 2–1
5 Al-Kahrabaa 8 1 2 5 10 16 −6 5 0–4 1–2 0–1 3–1
Source: Goalzz

Group 3

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ZAW NJF SHO PER
1 Al-Zawraa 6 4 1 1 11 5 +6 13 Qualified to Semi-finals 0–1 1–1 2–0
2 Al-Najaf 6 3 2 1 7 4 +3 11 Qualified to Semi-final playoff 2–3 3–1 0–0
3 Al-Shorta 6 1 2 3 5 9 −4 5 1–3 0–1 2–1
4 Peris 6 0 3 3 1 6 −5 3 0–2 0–0 0–0
Source: Goalzz

Semi-final playoff

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification JAW NJF KRB
1 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3 Qualified to Semi-finals 0–1
2 Al-Najaf 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3 2–3 (a.e.t.)[a]
3 Karbala 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 0–1
Source: Goalzz
Notes:
  1. ^ After 90 minutes, the result was 2–1 to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya meaning they were equal with Al-Najaf on points, goal difference and goals scored. Each team scored once more in extra time making the final score 3–2 to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and therefore requiring a penalty shootout to determine group position. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won 8–7 on penalties to top the group.

Golden stage

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
20 August 2008
 
 
Al-Zawraa 1
 
24 August 2008
 
Duhok 0
 
Al-Zawraa 0
 
21 August 2008
 
Erbil (a.e.t.) 1
 
Erbil 2
 
 
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya0
 
Third place
 
 
23 August 2008
 
 
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3
 
 
Duhok 0

Semi-finals

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Al-Zawraa1–0Duhok
Abboud   75' (pen.)


Erbil2–0Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
L. Salah   28'
A. Salah   53'
Referee: Alaa Abdul-Qadir

Third place match

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Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya3–0Duhok
Radhi   5'
Khalid   42'
Zwaid   82'

Final

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Al-Zawraa0–1 (a.e.t.)Erbil
A. Salah   99'
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Sabah Abid
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Al-Zawraa
 
 
 
 
 
 
Erbil

Season statistics

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Top four positions

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Pos Team Pld Pts Eff Qualification
1 Erbil 24 51 70.8% 2009 AFC Cup
2 Al-Zawraa 30 53 58.9% 2009 AFC Cup
3 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 34 65 63.7% 2008–09 Arab Champions League
4 Duhok 24 48 66.7%

Top scorers

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Rank Player Club Goals
1   Asaad Abdul-Nabi Al-Kahrabaa 14
2   Taiseer Abdul-Hussein Al-Shorta 12
  Hussam Saeed Al-Bareed / Al-Zawraa
4   Yassir Abdul-Mohsen Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 11
  Abdul-Salam Abboud Al-Zawraa

Hat-tricks

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Player[2] For Against Result Date
  Akram Hashim Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shuala 7–0 18 December 2007
  Yassir Abdul-Mohsen Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Shuala 7–0 18 December 2007
  Ali Mansoor4 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Kirkuk 6–3 17 July 2008
  Younis Shakor Kirkuk Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 3–6 17 July 2008
Notes

4 Player scored 4 goals

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Iraqi League 2007–2008". Goalzz.com.
  2. ^ "Iraqi Premier League 2007/2008 Group Stage All Fixtures". Goalzz. Kooora.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
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