2002–03 Iraqi First Division
| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Al-Shorta (3rd title) |
| 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship | Al-Shorta |
| 2004 AFC Champions League |
Al-Shorta Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 2003–04 Arab Champions League |
Al-Talaba Al-Zawraa |
| Top goalscorer |
Ahmad Mnajed (15 goals) |
|
← 2001–02 2003–04 → | |
The 2002–03 Iraqi First Division kicked off on September 6, 2002. The name of the league was changed from Iraqi Elite League to Iraqi First Division. Due to the War in Iraq, the season had to be cut short in March 2003 after 29 rounds. The Iraq Football Association decided to annul the results from the second half of the season, using the league table at the halfway stage of the campaign (when each team had played each other once) as the final standings, thus crowning Al-Shorta the champions for their third Premier League title. This was the same method the IFA used to name Al-Zawraa as the champion for the 1976–77 season. Al-Shorta also won the Iraqi Elite Cup in the 2002–03 season to complete a domestic double.[1]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Al-Shorta (C) | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 12 | +34 | 48 | 2004 AFC Champions League |
| 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship | ||||||||||
| 2 | Al-Talaba | 19 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 46 | 12 | +34 | 46 | 2003–04 Arab Champions League 1 |
| 3 | Al-Najaf | 19 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 9 | +26 | 46 | |
| 4 | Al-Zawraa | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 13 | +26 | 39 | 2003–04 Arab Champions League 1 |
| 5 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 19 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 38 | 2004 AFC Champions League 1 |
| 6 | Al-Minaa | 19 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 32 | |
| 7 | Al-Mosul | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 30 | –6 | 28 | |
| 8 | Al-Karkh | 19 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 15 | +8 | 26 | |
| 9 | Erbil | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 24 | +6 | 25 | |
| 10 | Zakho | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 17 | +3 | 25 | |
| 11 | Duhok | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 31 | –7 | 25 | |
| 12 | Al-Difaa Al-Jawiya | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 27 | –6 | 22 | |
| 13 | Al-Nasiriya | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 40 | –23 | 19 | |
| 14 | Samaraa | 19 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 24 | –10 | 18 | |
| 15 | Al-Samawa | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 35 | –20 | 17 | |
| 16 | Al-Sinaa | 19 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 17 | –7 | 15 | |
| 17 | Al-Jaish | 19 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 30 | –16 | 15 | |
| 18 | Al-Naft | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 29 | –15 | 14 | |
| 19 | Kirkuk | 19 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 28 | –18 | 13 | |
| 20 | Al-Basra | 19 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 36 | –27 | 8 |
1 There were five slots for continental competitions available for Iraqi teams: one slot for the 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship, two slots for the 2004 AFC Champions League and two slots for the 2003–04 Arab Champions League. As league champions, Al-Shorta took the 2003 Arab Unified Club Championship slot and one of the 2004 AFC Champions League slots. The IFA decided that because the league did not complete all 38 games, the final three continental slots should go randomly to the other three of Baghdad's Big Four (i.e. Al-Talaba, Al-Zawraa and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya); Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya were given a spot in the 2004 AFC Champions League while Al-Talaba and Al-Zawraa entered the 2003–04 Arab Champions League.
Top goalscorers
| Pos | Scorer | Goals | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmad Mnajed | Al-Shorta | ||
| Hesham Mohammed | Al-Zawraa |