The 1948–49 Iraq Football Association Cup was the first edition of what is now the Iraq FA Cup. Clubs and institute-representative teams participated in the tournament, which was won by Sharikat Naft Al-Basra, beating Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya 2–1 in Iraq's first ever national cup final, played at Al-Kashafa Stadium in Baghdad on 7 April 1949. The winning team's players and staff paraded the trophy around Basra upon returning from Baghdad three days after winning the tournament.[1]
Tournament details | |
---|---|
Country | Iraq |
Dates | 21 January – 7 April 1949 |
Teams | 25 |
Final positions | |
Champions | Sharikat Naft Al-Basra (1st title) |
Runner-up | Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya |
Background
editWithin the first week of the founding of the Iraq Football Association in October 1948, it was decided to hold league championships in four different regions: Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul (although the league in Mosul did not start until two seasons later). It was also decided to hold a 16-team national knockout cup tournament called the Iraq Football Association Cup between the top teams from each regional league.[2][3]
At the beginning of November, it was decided to increase the number of teams participating in the cup by allowing some second-tier teams from Baghdad to compete.[2] After the season's Iraq FA Baghdad League had to be shortened to a single round-robin format rather than a double round-robin due to rainy weather postponing a number of games, the Iraq FA Cup was opened up to all clubs from Baghdad wishing to compete in order to compensate for the reduced number of regional matches.[4] 25 teams (including one team who were disqualified from the first round) eventually took part in the competition.
It was to be the last edition of the national knockout cup for clubs or institutions for another 26 years, with such cup tournaments being played at a regional level during that time (such as the Iraq FA Baghdad Cup), until the Iraq FA Cup returned in the 1975–76 season as a clubs-only competition.
First round
editThe first round was played between Baghdad-based teams, starting on 21 January and ending on 13 February.[5][6][7][8]
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya, Al-Malaki, Al-Ahli, Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh, Al-Haras Al-Malaki and Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa received byes to the second round, while Al-Shorta Select XI were awarded a walkover due to their opponents Kuliyat Al-Huqooq being disqualified for not showing up for two matches in their regional league.[9]
Al-Shorta Select XI | w/o from | Kuliyat Al-Huqooq |
---|---|---|
Wizarat Al-Maarif | W–L | Sharikat Naft Al-Rafidain |
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Al-Sikak Al-Hadeed | L–W | Al-Sinaa Al-Askariya |
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Jihad Al-Karkh | W–L | Al-Haras Al-Malaki B |
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Madfaiat Baghdad | W–L | British Institute |
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Casuals | 0–3 (a.e.t.) | Armenian Young Men's Association |
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Second round
editThe second round started on 12 February and saw the entry of four Kirkuk-based teams;[10][11][12] it ended on 24 February.[13]
Kirkuk region
editArmenian Relief Corps | 2–0 | Al-Firqa Al-Thaniya |
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Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad | 4–2 | Al-Athoreen |
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Baghdad region
editAl-Shorta Select XI | 2–3 | Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh |
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Al-Ahli | 3–0 | Madfaiat Baghdad |
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Al-Haras Al-Malaki | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Jihad Al-Karkh |
---|---|---|
Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa | 3–2 | Wizarat Al-Maarif |
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Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 7–0 | Al-Sinaa Al-Askariya |
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Third round
editThe third round was held in February 1949 with three matches played in the Baghdad region.[14]
Al-Haras Al-Malaki | 2–1 | Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa |
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Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh | 1–0 | Al-Ahli |
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Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 5–0 | Al-Malaki |
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Final phase
editThe quarter-final round was the first round in which teams from different regions faced each other. It included two Basra-based teams (Sharikat Naft Al-Basra and Al-Minaa) and one Mosul-based team (Adadiyat Al-Mosul).
Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||
Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra | 4 | |||||||||||||||
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Haras Al-Malaki | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Minaa | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Haras Al-Malaki | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 7 | |||||||||||||||
Armenian Relief Corps | 1 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 3 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad | 4 | |||||||||||||||
Adadiyat Al-Mosul | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Quarter-finals
editThe quarter-final matches were played between 10 March to 21 March.[15][16][17]
Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh | 2–4 | Sharikat Naft Al-Basra |
---|---|---|
Al-Minaa | 0–2 | Al-Haras Al-Malaki |
---|---|---|
Peshka Tobias |
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad | 4–2 | Adadiyat Al-Mosul |
---|---|---|
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 7–1 | Armenian Relief Corps |
---|---|---|
Semi-finals
editThe semi-final matches were played on 1 April and 3 April.[22][23][24]
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra | 2–1 | Al-Haras Al-Malaki |
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Majeed 15' Ismail 18' (pen.) |
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya | 3–0 | Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad |
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Final
editThe final was played on 7 April at Al-Kashafa Stadium in Baghdad to crown the first ever Iraq FA Cup winners.[26][27][28][29] The ball used in the final was supplied by the Baghdad Sports Depot.[30]
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra | 2–1 | Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya |
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3' Lynsdale |
Faraj , , |
|
|
Iraq FA Cup 1948–49 winner |
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Sharikat Naft Al-Basra 1st title |
References
edit- ^ "In and around Basrah: The B.P.C. Team". The Iraq Times. 23 April 1949.
- ^ a b "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
- ^ "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
- ^ "Baghdad Football League". The Iraq Times. 31 December 1948.
- ^ "Casuals play first Cup tie tomorrow". The Iraq Times. 20 January 1949.
- ^ "Iraq Cup First Round Draw". The Iraq Times. 21 January 1949.
- ^ "Casuals' Cup tie again off". The Iraq Times. 28 January 1949.
- ^ "Casuals unlucky in cup tie". The Iraq Times. 15 February 1949.
- ^ "Basrah, Mosul and Kirkuk asked for Cup entries". The Iraq Times. 16 December 1948.
- ^ "Casuals team for big Cup game". The Iraq Times. 10 February 1949.
- ^ "Iraq Cup ties this weekend". The Iraq Times. 11 February 1949.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس الاتحاد العراقي". Sawt al-Ahali. 18 February 1949.
- ^ "Cup Fright for Bodyguard". The Iraq Times. 24 February 1949.
- ^ "Royal Bodyguard leave it late in close Cup game". The Iraq Times. 4 March 1949.
- ^ "Baghdad Union meet B.P.C. in tomorrow's Cup tie". The Iraq Times. 9 March 1949.
- ^ "Football League". The Iraq Times. 1 April 1949.
- ^ "Football League". The Iraq Times. 19 March 1949.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس بطولة العراق". Sawt al-Ahali. 4 March 1949.
- ^ a b Mubarak, Hassanin (2020). Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq. ISBN 979-8670555623.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم لاحراز بطولة العراق". Sawt al-Ahali. 9 March 1949.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس الاتحاد". Sawt al-Ahali. 18 March 1949.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس بطولة العراق". Ṣawt al-ahālī. 4 April 1949.
- ^ "Bodyguard beaten in semi-final". The Iraq Times. 2 April 1949.
- ^ "BPC defence foils Bodyguard in Iraq Cup semi-final". The Iraq Times. 6 April 1949.
- ^ "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس بطولة العراق". Ṣawt al-ahālī. 3 April 1949.
- ^ "Cup final day in Baghdad". The Iraq Times. 7 April 1949.
- ^ "The Cupholders". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
- ^ "The Cup goes to Basrah". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
- ^ "Photo of Percy Lynsdale goal". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
- ^ "The Baghdad Sports Depot". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
- ^ "Iraq 1948/49". RSSSF. 13 December 2018.