1948–49 Iraq FA Cup

The 1948–49 Iraq FA Cup was the first edition of the Iraq FA Cup. The tournament was won by Sharikat Naft Al-Basra, beating Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya 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 manager Freddie Gray 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
Teams28
ChampionsSharikat Naft Al-Basra
(1st title)
Runners-upAl-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya

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 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 wishing to compete in order to compensate for the reduced number of regional matches, with 28 teams eventually taking part.[5]

This was to be the last edition of the national knockout club cup for another 26 years, with cup tournaments for clubs being played at a regional level during that time, until the Iraq FA Cup returned in the 1975–76 season.

First round

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

Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya, Al-Maliki, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Haris Al-Maliki and Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa received byes to the second round, as did Madaris Al-Shorta due to their opponents Kuliya Al-Huqooq being disqualified for not showing up for two matches in their regional league.[10]

Wizarat Al-TarbiyaW–LSharikat Naft Al-Rafidain
Al-Sikak Al-HadeedL–WMadrasat Al-Finiya Al-Askariya
Al-JihadW–LAl-Haris Al-Maliki B
Madrasat Al-MidfaeiaW–LAl-Maehad Al-Britani
Casuals0–3 (a.e.t.)Homenetmen

Second round

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

Baghdad region
Madaris Al-Shorta2–?(W)Al-Ittihad
Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa3–2Wizarat Al-Tarbiya
Al-Haris Al-Maliki3–2Al-Jihad
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya7–0Madrasat Al-Finiya Al-Askariya
Al-Ahli3–0Madrasat Al-Midfaeia
Homenetmen0–5Al-Maliki
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad

Kirkuk region
Faylaq Al-Aghatha Al-Armeni2–0Al-Firqa Al-Thaniya
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad4–2Al-Athori
Sharikat Naft Al-Iraq Stadium, Kirkuk

Third round

The third round was played in February 1949; below are the results from the Baghdad region.[14]

Baghdad region
Al-Haris Al-Maliki2–1Al-Tayour Al-Zarqaa
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Ittihad1–0Al-Ahli
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya5–0Al-Maliki
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 (Al-Mosul).

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
                
 
 
 
 
Al-Ittihad2
 
 
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra4
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2
 
 
 
Al-Haris Al-Maliki1
 
Al-Minaa0
 
 
 
Al-Haris Al-Maliki2
 
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2
 
 
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya1
 
Faylaq Al-Aghatha Al-Armeni1
 
 
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya7
 
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-MalikiyaW
 
 
 
Al-Dhahab Al-AswadL
 
Al-Mosul2
 
 
Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad4
 

Quarter-finals

The quarter-final matches were played between 10 March to 13 March.[15][16][17]

Al-Ittihad2–4Sharikat Naft Al-Basra
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Al-Minaa0–2Al-Haris Al-Maliki
Madrasat Al-Thanawiya Stadium, Basra
Faylaq Al-Aghatha Al-Armeni1–7Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya
Sharikat Naft Al-Iraq Stadium, Kirkuk
Al-Mosul2–4Al-Dhahab Al-Aswad

Semi-finals

The semi-final matches were played on 19 March and 1 April.[18][19]

Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-MalikiyaW–LAl-Dhahab Al-Aswad
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad
Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2–1Al-Haris Al-Maliki
Majid  15'
Ismail  18' (pen.)
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.[20][21][22][23] The ball used in the final was supplied by the Baghdad Sports Depot.[24]

Sharikat Naft Al-Basra2–1Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya
 3'
Lynsdale 		, , Faraj
Al-Kashafa Stadium, Baghdad[25]
GK Potts
DF Arshak Bedroussian
DF Korken
MF Saeed Easho
MF Jabbar Hussein
MF Jafar Abid
FW Herand Joharian
FW Shaker Ismail
FW Hamed Majid
FW Percy Lynsdale
FW Nabih Afif
Manager:
Freddie Gray
GK Mahmoud Alaras
DF Hassan Sabri
DF Mohammed Ali
MF Ibrahim Al-Sheikh
MF Abdul-Wadud Khalil
MF Sattar Al-Sheikhli
FW Kelo Hussein
FW Salih Faraj
FW Shawqi Aboud
FW Kamal Mohammed Ali
FW Akram Nashat
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gollark: Yes, just make an optimizing BF interpreter thing on an FPGA.
gollark: The first one might be slow, I think FPGAs take a while to reprogram?

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. "Cup Fright for Bodyguard". The Iraq Times. 24 February 1949.
  14. "Royal Bodyguard leave it late in close Cup game". The Iraq Times. 4 March 1949.
  15. "Baghdad Union meet B.P.C. in tomorrow's Cup tie". The Iraq Times. 9 March 1949.
  16. "Football League". The Iraq Times. 1 April 1949.
  17. "Football League". The Iraq Times. 19 March 1949.
  18. "Bodyguard beaten in semi-final". The Iraq Times. 2 April 1949.
  19. "BPC defence foils Bodybuard in Iraq Cup semi-final". The Iraq Times. 6 April 1949.
  20. "Cup final day in Baghdad". The Iraq Times. 7 April 1949.
  21. "The Cupholders". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
  22. "The Cup goes to Basrah". The Iraq Times. 8 April 1949.
  23. "Photo of Percy Lynsdale goal". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
  24. "The Baghdad Sports Depot". The Iraq Times. 9 April 1949.
  25. "Iraq 1948/49". RSSSF. 13 December 2018.
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