1997–98 Iraqi Premier League

The 1997–98 Iraqi Premier League was the 24th season of the competition since its foundation in 1974. For the first time in Iraqi football history, there were three teams that were in contention for the title on the last day of the season: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta and Al-Zawraa. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were playing Al-Zawraa on the final day (22 May) at the same time as Al-Shorta played Al-Sulaikh.

Iraqi Premier League
Season1997–98
ChampionsAl-Shorta
(2nd title)
RelegatedAl-Mosul
Al-Kut
Al-Sinaa
1999–2000 Asian Club ChampionshipAl-Shorta
1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' CupAl-Zawraa
Top goalscorerMahmoud Majeed
(22 goals)

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya needed a win to guarantee the title, whereas Al-Shorta (who had scored in all of their matches) needed Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya to lose or draw and needed to win their game against Al-Sulaikh in order to win the league. Al-Zawraa needed to beat Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and needed Al-Shorta to draw or lose their match if they wanted to clinch the title. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya drew 1–1 with Al-Zawraa, but Al-Shorta were losing 2–1 against Al-Sulaikh with seven minutes plus stoppage time left. Al-Shorta managed to score twice in those last minutes including a stoppage-time penalty kick to win 3–2 and thus clinch the league title.

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya players and fans thought that Al-Shorta had drawn their game and celebrated on the pitch thinking they had won the league, with manager Ayoub Odisho being given 'bumps' by the players and being interviewed on live television, telling the cameras how happy he was to have retained the title. Midway through the interview, the stadium announcer announced that Al-Shorta had won 3–2 and had therefore won the league, causing Odisho to stop talking and stand still with a shocked expression.[1][2]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Shorta (C) 30 23 4 3 71 30 +41 73 1999–2000 Asian Club Championship
2 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 30 22 5 3 67 21 +46 71
3 Al-Zawraa 30 21 7 2 70 22 +48 70 1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup[lower-alpha 1]
4 Al-Najaf 30 18 8 4 58 22 +36 62
5 Al-Talaba 30 18 7 5 67 28 +39 61
6 Al-Jaish 30 12 8 10 37 36 +1 44
7 Al-Minaa 30 12 3 15 29 41 −12 39
8 Al-Naft 30 9 11 10 37 34 +3 38
9 Maysan 30 9 8 13 26 40 −14 35
10 Diyala 30 8 10 12 38 47 −9 34
11 Al-Sulaikh 30 8 8 14 23 36 −13 32
12 Salahaddin 30 7 7 16 26 40 −14 28
13 Samaraa 30 6 8 16 27 55 −28 26
14 Al-Mosul 30 4 9 17 28 72 −44 21 Relegated to Iraq Division One
15 Al-Kut 30 3 8 19 24 65 −41 17
16 Al-Sinaa 30 1 7 22 19 58 −39 10
Source: Al-Shameri Archive
(C) Champion.
Notes:
  1. Al-Zawraa qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Iraq FA Cup.

Results
Home \ Away JSH KUT MIN MSL NFT NJF QWJ SHR SIN SLK TLB ZWR DYL MYS SAL SMR
Al-Jaish 1–1 1–0 2–2 2–2 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–0 3–0 1–2 1–2 3–1 1–0 1–0 0–1
Al-Kut 0–0 1–2 3–0 0–1 0–6 0–1 0–2 3–0 0–0 1–4 0–6 2–3 1–2 2–2 2–0
Al-Minaa 0–2 1–0 4–1 2–0 0–3 0–1 3–2 3–0 1–0 2–1 0–3 2–0 2–1 2–1 1–0
Al-Mosul 0–1 2–1 2–0 0–5 1–1 0–3 1–2 1–1 1–2 2–4 0–0 2–2 1–0 0–1 2–1
Al-Naft 1–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 1–2 1–2 1–2 2–1 0–0 1–2 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–0
Al-Najaf 2–0 1–1 1–0 5–0 4–0 1–1 2–1 2–1 4–1 2–1 0–0 2–0 3–0 3–0 1–0
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–1 5–0 2–0 5–1 3–1 0–0 2–3 2–0 2–0 2–2 1–3 5–1 0–0 1–0 6–0
Al-Shorta 2–0 2–0 3–2 6–2 3–2 3–0 3–2 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–2 3–1 1–2 3–0 4–0
Al-Sinaa 1–3 1–1 0–0 3–1 1–2 0–4 0–4 0–2 1–2 1–3 2–3 1–2 0–1 1–3 1–1
Al-Sulaikh 3–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 0–1 0–2 2–3 2–0 0–1 1–2 0–0 1–0 0–0 1–1
Al-Talaba 2–2 9–1 7–0 7–1 1–0 2–1 1–2 0–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 3–0 1–1 3–1 1–0
Al-Zawraa 1–2 1–0 2–1 5–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 6–1 4–0 5–1
Diyala 2–2 3–2 3–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 0–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–2 2–0 2–0 3–0
Maysan 0–1 2–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 2–1 1–4 0–4 1–0 1–1 0–0 0–1 3–0 1–0 2–1
Salahaddin 1–2 2–0 1–0 1–1 1–1 0–1 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–0 0–0 2–3 0–2 2–0 0–0
Samaraa 1–0 5–1 1–0 3–3 0–3 2–2 0–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–2 0–5 1–1 2–1 2–1
Source: Al-Shameri Archive
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top goalscorers
Pos Scorer Goals Team
1 Mahmoud Majeed 22 Al-Shorta
2 Alaa Kadhim 18 Al-Talaba
3 Hussam Fawzi 17 Al-Zawraa

References
  1. Al-Sabti, Ali (2014). Iraqi League History 1974-2011. Iraq.
  2. Al-Munshi, Dr.Dhia (2005). Iraqi Football Encyclopedia: Chico.. Jamoli… and football in Iraq. Citadel Printing & Design, Al-Saadoun, Baghdad.
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