Hawler wins 2016 Kurdistan Premier League
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Hawler Football Club won the Kurdistan Premier League for the third time in its history after a 2-1 victory over Hawler Peshmerga Football Club in the final match of the season.
Kurdistan Premier League (KPL) is the Kurdistan Region’s top football championship which is held annually in the Region. In 2016, 14 clubs participated in the competition.
This year, the KPL was decided in a playoff system where the top four teams in the league competed against each other to determine the final winner.
Hawler FC and Hawler Peshmerga were the two clubs that collected the most points in the round-robin. The two teams would play against each other on the last day to determine the champion. The match was played at the Franso Hariri Stadium located in Erbil Province.
Hawler FC, who came into the game needing all three points to be crowned champions, opened the scoring before their opponents eventually equalized. A draw meant that Hawler Peshmerga would win the league, but it wasn’t to be as Hawler FC restored their lead later in the match and held on for the victory.
Moreover, Duhok and Zakho, competing for the third and fourth place spots, played in Duhok Stadium. The match ended in a goalless draw and confirmed Duhok’s standing in third.
Former champions Zeravani Football Club is considered one of the best teams in the Region, winning the league in the past three years, but they were unable to defend their crown in 2016.
Additionally, the financial crisis has also affected the league in general and some clubs in particular. Sulaimani Football Club is one of the victims of the crisis, withdrawing at the very beginning of the 2016 season.
The first Kurdistan Premier League season was held in 2006-07 where Duhok Football Club become the champions.
Final Playoff Standings:
1. Hawler 11 points
2. Hawler Peshmerga 9 points
3. Duhok 6 points
4. Zakho 5 points
Reporting by Mewan Dolamari and Baxtiyar Goran
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany