Kurdistan Premier League

Football league
Kurdistan Premier League
Founded2006
ConfederationConIFA
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toKurdistan First League
Most championshipsZeravani SC (4 times)
Top goalscorerDiyar Ali Yadgar Ali (18 goals)
Websitehttps://www.kfa.krd/ckb

The Kurdistan Premier League (Kurdish: خولی نایابی کوردستان, romanized: Xûlî Nayabî Kurdistan) is the foremost association football league in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, above the Kurdistan Second Division (Kurdish: خولی پلە یەکی کوردستان, romanized: Xûlî pile yekî Kurdistan) and Kurdish Third Division (Kurdish خولی پلە دووی کوردستان, romanized: Xûlî pîle dûy Kurdistan). It is overseen by the Kurdistan Football Association.[1] The league is not officially recognized by FIFA or any of its confederations, therefore cannot compete in their continental or intercontinental competitions.[2] The season runs from August and finishes in May, with each playing twenty eight matches each. During the season, clubs compete for the Kurdistan Cup, which follows with the Kurdistan Super Cup, a contest held between league winners and the cup winners.

The current champion is Akre sc, who won the title for the first time in history

History

The first season was the 2006/07 season, which saw Duhok Football Club crowned as the first champions.

Only nine clubs participated in the 2017/18 Kurdistan Premier League season, which did not start until February 2018 after five teams pulled out. Kurd striker Dyar Ali broke the record for highest goals scored, with 17 goals in one season, previously held by Brazilian striker Thiago Amaral with 12 goals in one season. The club with the highest cups is Zeravani SC with 4 cups, followed by Erbil SC with 3.

Current members

  • Shaqlawa SC
  • Peshmerge Hawler SC
  • Brayati SC
  • Handren SC
  • Saidsadq SC
  • Erbil SC (Hawler SC in Kurdish)
  • Zakho FC
  • Soran SC
  • Sherwana SC
  • New Sirwan SC
  • Duhok SC
  • Ararat SC
  • Darbandikhan SC
  • Akrè SC
  • Chwarqurna SC
  • Ranya SC

Champions

Season club
2006-07 Duhok SC
2007-08 Brusk SC
2008-09 Brusk SC
2009-10 Erbil SC
2010-11 Handren SC
2011-12 Erbil SC
2012-13 Zeravani SC
2013-14 Zeravani SC
2014-15 Zeravani SC
2015-16 Erbil SC
2016-17 Peshmerga Hawler SC
2017-18 Zeravani SC
2018-19 Peshmerga Hawler SC
2019-20 Newroz
2020-21 Brayati FC
2021-22 New Sirwan SC
2022-23 Peshmerga Hawler SC
2023-24 Akre SC

References

  1. ^ "Kurdish football prospers in new Iraq". 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  2. ^ Rabas, Words: Jack Losh Film: Sebastien; Losh, Jack (2016-10-14). "The rebel World Cup: on the road with Kurdistan's football team". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-02-10.

3-https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/tag/kurdistan%20premier%20league 4-https://www.kfa.krd/ckb