1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division


The 1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division was the first season of the Iraq Central FA League. The competition started on 5 November 1948, after the fixture list had been drawn up at a meeting between club representatives held at the Al-Maliki club.
The Iraq Central Football Association intended to hold the league in a double round-robin format but this was changed to a single round-robin after several games had to be postponed due to rainy weather. The IFA also set a rule that players who had already played for one club in a league game could not play for another team without prior permission from the League Committee, however Madaris Al-Shorta and Wizarat Al-Tarbiya were found to have broken this rule.
The title-deciding match between Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya and Al-Haris Al-Maliki was played on 16 April 1949 at 16:00 at Al-Kashafa Stadium. Al-Haris Al-Maliki needed to win outright in order to overtake their opponents and win the title, but the game ended 3–3 and therefore Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya were crowned inaugural league champions. The league's trophy was named The Iraq Times Cup.

Overview

Note: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Malikiya did not participate in the tournament owing to unforeseen circumstances.