1948–49 Iraq FA Cup

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]

1948–49 Iraq FA Cup
CountryIraq
Dates21 January – 7 April 1949
Teams25
ChampionsSharikat Naft Al-Basra
(1st title)
Runners-upAl-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya

Background

Within 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 FA 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.[4] 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.[5] 25 teams (including Kuliyat Al-Huqooq 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

The first round was played between Baghdad-based teams, starting on 21 January and ending on 13 February.[6][7][8][9]

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.[10]

Al-Shorta Select XIw/oKuliyat Al-Huqooq
Wizarat Al-MaarifW–LSharikat Naft Al-Rafidain
Al-Sikak Al-HadeedL–WAl-Sinaa Al-Askariya
Jihad Al-KarkhW–LAl-Haras Al-Malaki B
Madfaiat BaghdadW–LBritish Institute
Casuals0–3 (a.e.t.)Armenian Young Men's Association

Second round

The second round started on 12 February and saw the entry of four Kirkuk-based teams;[11][12][13] it ended on 24 February.[14]

Kirkuk region
Armenian Relief Corps2–0Al-Firqa Al-Thaniya
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad4–2Al-Athoreen
Sharikat Naft Al-Iraq Stadium, Kirkuk

Baghdad region
Al-Shorta Select XI2–3Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Ahli3–0Madfaiat Baghdad
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Haras Al-Malaki3–2 (a.e.t.)Jihad Al-Karkh
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa3–2Wizarat Al-Maarif
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya7–0Al-Sinaa Al-Askariya
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya Stadium, Baghdad
Armenian Young Men's Association0–5Al-Malaki
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad

Third round

The third round was held in February 1949 with three matches played in the Baghdad region.[15]

Al-Haras Al-Malaki2–1Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh1–0Al-Ahli
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya5–0Al-Malaki
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad

Final phase

The 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-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
                
 
 
 
 
Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh2
 
 
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra4
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2
 
 
 
Al-Haras Al-Malaki1
 
Al-Minaa0
 
 
 
Al-Haras Al-Malaki2
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2
 
 
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya1
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya7
 
 
 
Armenian Relief Corps1
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya3
 
 
 
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad0
 
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad4
 
 
Adadiyat Al-Mosul2
 

Quarter-finals

The quarter-final matches were played between 10 March to 21 March.[16][17][18]

Ittihad Muntada Al-Karkh2–4Sharikat Naft Al-Basra
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Minaa0–2Al-Haras Al-Malaki
Peshka
Tobias
Thanawiyat Al-Basra Stadium, Basra
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad4–2Adadiyat Al-Mosul
Sharikat Naft Al-Iraq Stadium, Kirkuk
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya7–1Armenian Relief Corps
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on 27 March.[23][24][25]

Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya3–0Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2–1Al-Haras Al-Malaki
Majeed 15'
Ismail 18' (pen.)
Adadiyat Al-Basra Stadium, Basra
Attendance: 3,500

Final

The 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-Basra2–1Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya
3'
Lynsdale 		Faraj , soccer ball with red X, soccer ball with red X
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad[31]
Referee: Stanley D. Holloway (Stoke-on-Trent)[20]
GKUnited Kingdom Potts
DFArmenia Arshak Bedrossian
DFArmenia Kurken Harikian
MFIraq Saeed Easho
MFIraq Jabbar Hussein
MFIraq Jafar Abid
FWArmenia Herand Joharian
FWIraq Shaker Ismail
FWIraq Hameed Majeed
FWIraq Percy Lynsdale
FWIraq Nabih Afif
Manager:
Iraq Tommy Thomas
GKIraq Mahmoud Alaras
DFIraq Hassan Sabri
DFIraq Mohammed Ali
MFIraq Ibrahim Al-Sheikh
MFIraq Abdul-Wadud Khalil
MFIraq Sattar Al-Sheikhli
FWIraq Kelo Hussein
FWIraq Salih Faraj
FWIraq Shawqi Aboud
FWIraq Kamal Mohammed Ali
FWIraq Akram Nashat
Manager:
Iraq Hamid Qadir Al-Samarrai
Iraq FA Cup
1948–49 winner
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra
1st title

References
  1. "In and around Basrah: The B.P.C. Team". The Iraq Times. 23 April 1949.
  2. "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
  3. "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
  4. "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
  5. "Baghdad Football League". The Iraq Times. 31 December 1948.
  6. "Casuals play first Cup tie tomorrow". The Iraq Times. 20 January 1949.
  7. "Iraq Cup First Round Draw". The Iraq Times. 21 January 1949.
  8. "Casuals' Cup tie again off". The Iraq Times. 28 January 1949.
  9. "Casuals unlucky in cup tie". The Iraq Times. 15 February 1949.
  10. "Basrah, Mosul and Kirkuk asked for Cup entries". The Iraq Times. 16 December 1948.
  11. "Casuals team for big Cup game". The Iraq Times. 10 February 1949.
  12. "Iraq Cup ties this weekend". The Iraq Times. 11 February 1949.
  13. "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس الاتحاد العراقي". Sawt al-Ahali. 18 February 1949.
  14. "Cup Fright for Bodyguard". The Iraq Times. 24 February 1949.
  15. "Royal Bodyguard leave it late in close Cup game". The Iraq Times. 4 March 1949.
  16. "Baghdad Union meet B.P.C. in tomorrow's Cup tie". The Iraq Times. 9 March 1949.
  17. "Football League". The Iraq Times. 1 April 1949.
  18. "Football League". The Iraq Times. 19 March 1949.
  19. "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس بطولة العراق". Sawt al-Ahali. 4 March 1949.
  20. Mubarak, Hassanin (2020). Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq. ISBN 979-8670555623.
  21. "مباريات كرة القدم لاحراز بطولة العراق". Sawt al-Ahali. 9 March 1949.
  22. "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس الاتحاد". Sawt al-Ahali. 18 March 1949.
  23. "مباريات كرة القدم على كأس بطولة العراق". Ṣawt al-ahālī. 4 April 1949.
  24. "Bodyguard beaten in semi-final". The Iraq Times. 2 April 1949.
  25. "BPC defence foils Bodyguard in Iraq Cup semi-final". The Iraq Times. 6 April 1949.
  26. "Cup final day in Baghdad". The Iraq Times. 7 April 1949.
  27. "The Cupholders". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
  28. "The Cup goes to Basrah". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
  29. "Photo of Percy Lynsdale goal". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
  30. "The Baghdad Sports Depot". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
  31. "Iraq 1948/49". RSSSF. 13 December 2018.
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