Lebanese Second
Division 2017-2018
Season
|
2017-2018
|
Dates
|
15
September 2017 – 18 March 2018
|
Champions
|
Shabab
Sahel
|
Promoted
|
Shabab
Sahel
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh
|
Relegated
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
Amal
Maarka
|
Matches played
|
132
(2 awarded 3-0, both against Shabab Majdal Anjar)
|
Goals scored
|
419,
including 3 in awarded matches (3,17 goals/match)
|
Biggest home
win
|
Shabab
Sahel – Egtmaaey Tripoli 7-0
|
Biggest away
win
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Shabab Sahel 0-5
|
Highest
scoring
|
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Mabarrah 6-3
Ahly
Nabatieh – Egtmaaey Tripoli 6-3
|
Longest
winning run
|
Shabab
Sahel (6 games, rounds 8-13)
Bourj
(6 games, rounds 14-19)
|
Longest
unbeaten run
|
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh (19 games, rounds 3-21)
|
Longest
winless run
|
Amal
Maarka (18 games, rounds 1-18)
|
Longest losing
run
|
Hikma
/ La Sagesse (7 games, rounds 6-12)
Shabab
Majdal Anjar (7 games, rounds 11-17)
|
Final table
1
|
Shabab
Sahel
|
22
|
16
|
2
|
4
|
56-22
|
50
|
Promoted
to the Premier League
|
2
|
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh
|
22
|
16
|
4
|
2
|
56-22
|
|
Promoted
to the Premier League
|
3
|
Bourj
|
22
|
14
|
6
|
2
|
42-19
|
48
|
|
4
|
Mabarrah
|
22
|
11
|
5
|
6
|
40-27
|
38
|
|
5
|
Ahly
Nabatieh
|
22
|
10
|
4
|
8
|
39-34
|
34
|
|
6
|
Naser
Barelias
|
22
|
9
|
3
|
10
|
29-31
|
30
|
|
7
|
Homenetmen
|
22
|
6
|
5
|
11
|
26-39
|
23
|
|
8
|
Ahly
Sidon
|
22
|
5
|
7
|
10
|
27-34
|
22
|
|
9
|
Egtmaaey
Tripoli
|
22
|
6
|
4
|
12
|
31-46
|
22
|
|
10
|
Hikma
/ La Sagesse
|
22
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
30-43
|
21
|
|
11
|
Amal
Maarka
|
22
|
3
|
7
|
12
|
27-57
|
16
|
Relegated
to the Third Division
|
12
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
|
22
|
3
|
3
|
16
|
16-45
|
12
|
Relegated
to the Third Division
|
The
Lebanese Second Division represents the second tier of the football system in
Lebanon. It is organised by the Lebanese Football Association. Just like before,
the 2017-2018 season comprised only one pool (group) involving 12 teams, of
which 8 teams came from the previous season of the Second Division, 2 teams
were relegated from the Lebanese Premier League (or First Division) and 2 teams were promoted from the Third
Division.
The
competition format was established as a double (home and away) round-robin
championship, each team playing all other teams twice, once at home and once
away, a total of 22 rounds. The competition started on the 15th of
September 2017 and ended on the 18th of March 2018. Round 11, the
last of the first half, was played in the week-end between the 8th
and 10th of December 2017. There was a winter break after the first
half of the season, around Christmas and the New Year. Round 12, the first of
the second half of the season, was played in the week-end between the 5th
and the 7th of January 2018. The last round, 22, was played on the
17th and 18th of March 2018.
Most
of the matches were played on Saturdays and Sundays, sometimes on Fridays and
rarely on Mondays. The usual kick-off time was 14.15 (local time).
At
the end of the season, the first two teams in the classification gained
promotion to the Lebanese Premier League (First Division) while the last two in
the classification were relegated to the Third Division.
As
the season developed, it became clear that three teams will try to achieve
promotion: Shabab Sahel, just
relegated from the Premier League, Shabab
Al-Ghazieh, third classified at the end of the previous season, and Bourj, promoted from the Third
Division. These teams dominated the competition and the direct macthes between
them, scheduled in the last three rounds, could determine the two teams
promoted to the Premier League. The promoted teams were established only after
the games in the last round, as top three teams were separated by only 2 points
before that. Eventually, Shabab Sahel won
the derby against Shabab Al-Ghazieh in
the final round, became the winners of the competition and returned to the
Premier League after only one year in the Second Division. Shabab Al-Ghazieh also promoted as second in the table, benefitting
from the surprising result in the match involving Bourj, which were held to a draw at home by Mabarrah, and only
finished third, one point away from promotion.
At
the bottom of the table, Amal Maarka
and Shabab Majdal Anjar looked as the
weakest teams right from the start and were placed on the relagation positions
in the classification from the first rounds. Their distance to the tenth
classified, usually Hikma / La Sagesse or Homenetmen, increased steadily
throughout the season, which made them clear candidates for relegation to the
Third Division. Mathematically, they were relegated only after round 21 (second
to last), when Hikma / La Sagesse won 2-0 away at Shabab Majdal Anjar and kept a
5-point difference to Amal Maarka, while increasing the distance to Shabab
Majdal Anjar to 8 points before the last round.
Team changes
from the 2016-2017
To the Second
Division
Promoted from
the Third Division
Bourj
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
Relegated from
the Premier League
Shabab
Sahel
Egtmaaey
Tripoli
From the Second
Division
Promoted to the
Premier League
Shabab
Al Arabi
Al
Islah Al Burj Al Shimaly
Relegated to the
Third Division
Al
Shabeba Al Mazraah
Al
Riadah wal Adab
Teams
Team
|
Home town
|
Stadium
|
2016-2017
|
Shabab
Sahel
|
Beirut
|
Al-Ahed
|
11th
in the Premier League (relegated)
|
Egtmaaey
Tripoli
|
Tripoli
|
Municipal
|
12th
in the Premier League (relegated)
|
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh
|
Al-Ghazieh
|
|
3rd
in the Second Division
|
Mabarrah
|
Beirut
|
Al-Ahed
|
4th
in the Second Division
|
Homenetmen
Beirut
|
Beirut
|
|
5th
in the Second Division
|
Al-Ahly
Nabatieh
|
Nabatieh
|
Kfarjoz
|
6th
in the Second Division
|
Naser
Barelias
|
Barelias
|
|
7th
in the Second Division
|
Hikma
/ La Sagesse
|
Beirut
|
|
8th
in the Second Division
|
Al-Ahly
Sidon
|
Sidon
(Saida)
|
International
|
9th
in the Second Division
|
Amal
Maarka
|
Tyre
(Sour)
|
Sour
Municipal
|
10th
in the Second Division
|
Bourj
|
Bourj
el-Barajneh
|
|
1st
in the Third Division (promoted)
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
|
Majdal
Anjar
|
|
2nd
in the Third Division (promoted)
|
Round 1 (15-17 September
2017)
Mabarrah
– Bourj 0-1
Shabab
Sahel – Hikma / La Sagesse 2-1
Ahly
Sidon – Homenetmen 4-0
Amal
Maarka – Naser Barelias 0-1
Ahly
Nabatieh – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 1-2
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Egtmaaey Tripoli 0-1
Round 2 (22-24 September
2017)
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Mabarrah 1-2
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Naser Barelias 0-1
Amal
Maarka – Shabab Sahel 2-3
Ahly
Nabatieh – Ahly Sidon 1-1
Homenetmen
– Egtmaaey Tripoli 1-0
Bourj
– Shabab Al-Ghazieh 3-1
Round 3 (29 September –
1 October 2017)
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Amal Maarka 4-3
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Ahly Nabatieh 1-1
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Shabab Sahel 0-5
Mabarrah
– Shabab Al-Ghazieh 0-2
Bourj
– Ahly Sidon 2-2
Homenetmen
– Naser Barelias 1-1
Round 4 (13-15 October
2017)
Shabab
Sahel – Homenetmen 4-0
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Shabab Majdal Anjar 3-0 (play suspended, game awarded to Hikma)
Ahly
Sidon – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 1-1
Amal
Maarka – Mabarrah 0-3
Bourj
– Egtmaaey Tripoli 2-0
Naser
Barelias – Mabarrah 0-2
Round 5 (20-22 October
2017)
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Homenetmen 2-1
Ahly
Sidon – Mabarrah 1-2
Ahly
Nabatieh – Shabab Sahel 3-2
Bourj
– Naser Barelias 1-1
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Egtmaaey Tripoli 3-2
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Amal Maarka 2-2
Round 6 (27-29 October
2017)
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Ahly Sidon 0-0
Shabab
Sahel – Bourj 1-1
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Ahly Nabatieh 1-2
Mabarrah
– Shabab Majdal Anjar 3-0
Amal
Maarka – Homenetmen 1-1
Naser
Barelias – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 2-4
Round 7 (3-5 November 2017)
Amal
Maarka – Ahly Nabatieh 3-3
Homenetmen
– Shabab Majdal Anjar 1-0
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Shabab Sahel 1-0
Ahly
Sidon – Naser Barelias 0-1
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Mabarrah 6-3
Bourj
– Hikma / La Sagesse 1-0
Round 8 (17-19 November
2017)
Ahly
Sidon – Shabab Sahel 3-4
Amal
Maarka – Bourj 0-4
Mabarrah
– Homenetmen 2-0
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Hikma / La Sagesse 4-0
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Naser Barelias 1-0
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Ahly Nabatieh 0-0
Round 9 (24-26 November
2017)
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Shabab Sahel 0-1
Bourj
– Shabab Majdal Anjar 2-3
Homenetmen
– Ahly Nabatieh 4-3
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Ahly Sidon 2-3
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Amal Maarka 6-0
Naser
Barelias – Mabarrah 1-1
Round 10 (1-3 December
2017)
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 1-1
Homenetmen
– Bourj 1-1
Ahly
Sidon – Amal Maarka 0-0
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-0
Ahly
Nabatieh – Mabarrah 2-0
Naser
Barelias – Shabab Sahel 0-4
Round 11 (8-10 December
2017)
Ahly
Sidon – Shabab Majdal Anjar 3-1
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Homenetmen 3-0
Shabab
Sahel – Mabarrah 2-1
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Amal Maarka 2-2
Ahly
Nabatieh – Bourj 0-2
Naser
Barelias – Hikma / La Sagesse 3-2
Table / standings
at half season
1
|
Shabab
Sahel
|
11
|
8
|
1
|
2
|
28-12
|
25
|
2
|
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh
|
11
|
8
|
2
|
1
|
28-10
|
|
3
|
Bourj
|
11
|
6
|
4
|
1
|
20-9
|
22
|
4
|
Ahly
Nabatieh
|
11
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
18-16
|
16
|
5
|
Mabarrah
|
11
|
5
|
1
|
5
|
17-16
|
16
|
6
|
Egtmaaey
Tripoli
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
16-13
|
15
|
7
|
Naser
Barelias
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
11-16
|
15
|
8
|
Ahly
Sidon
|
11
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
18-14
|
14
|
9
|
Homenetmen
|
11
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
10-21
|
12
|
10
|
Hikma
/ La Sagesse
|
11
|
3
|
0
|
8
|
16-24
|
9
|
11
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
|
11
|
1
|
3
|
7
|
7-22
|
6
|
12
|
Amal
Maarka
|
11
|
0
|
5
|
6
|
13-29
|
5
|
Round 12 (5-7 January
2018)
Mabarrah
– Ahly Sidon 1-1
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Bourj 0-2
Shabab
Sahel – Amal Maarka 4-0
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Shabab Majdal Anjar 1-0
Ahly
Nabatieh – Homenetmen 1-0
Naser
Barelias – Egtmaaey Tripoli 2-1
Round 13 (12-14 January
2018)
Ahly
Sidon – Ahly Nabatieh 1-0
Amal
Maarka – Egtmaaey Tripoli 1-1
Mabarrah
– Naser Barelias 2-0
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 2-2
Shabab
Sahel – Shabab Majdal Anjar 3-1
Bourj
– Homenetmen 1-1
Round 14 (19-21 January
2018)
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Shabab Majdal Anjar 1-0
Ahly
Sidon – Bourj 0-2
Homenetmen
– Shabab Al-Ghazieh 1-2
Mabarrah
– Amal Maarka 3-1
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Shabab Sahel 2-2
Ahly
Nabatieh – Naser Barelias 0-3
Round 15 (26-28 January
2018)
Homenetmen
– Shabab Sahel 3-4
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Ahly Sidon 5-0
Naser
Barelias – Bourj 0-1
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Egtmaaey Tripoli 3-2
Ahly
Nabatieh – Amal Maarka 4-0
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Mabarrah 1-3
Round 16 (3-4 February
2018)
Mabarrah
- Hikma / La Sagesse 1-1
Ahly
Nabatieh - Shabab Majdal Anjar 3-1
Shabab
Sahel – Ahly Sidon 1-0
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh - Naser Barelias 3-2
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Homenetmen 1-3
Bourj
– Amal Maarka 4-2
Round 17 (9-11 February
2018)
Amal
Maarka - Shabab Al-Ghazieh 1-3
Homenetmen
– Mabarrah 0-4
Ahly
Nabatieh - Hikma / La Sagesse 3-0
Shabab
Sahel - Naser Barelias 1-0
Ahly
Sidon - Egtmaaey Tripoli 0-1
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Bourj 0-3 (awarded to Bourj because Shabab Majdal Anjar used an ineligible
player; 1-1 on the field)
Round 18 (17-19 February
2018)
Homenetmen
– Hikma / La Sagesse 0-0
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Mabarrah 1-1
Ahly
Sidon – Shabab Majdal Anjar 2-3
Shabab
Sahel – Egtmaaey Tripoli 7-0
Bourj
– Ahly Nabatieh 2-0
Naser
Barelias – Amal Maarka 3-0
Round 19 (23-25 February
2018)
Ahly
Nabatieh – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 2-3
Naser
Barelias – Shabab Majdal Anjar 0-2
Homenetmen
– Amal Maarka 0-1
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Bourj 2-4
Ahly
Sidon – Hikma / La Sagesse 1-1
Mabarrah
– Shabab Sahel 2-0
Round 20 (2-4 March 2018)
Amal
Maarka – Shabab Majdal Anjar 2-1
Homenetmen
– Ahly Sidon 2-0
Mabarrah
– Egtmaaey Tripoli 4-3
Shabab
Sahel – Ahly Nabatieh 4-0
Hikma
/ La Sagesse – Naser Barelias 1-4
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh – Bourj 4-1
Round 21 (9-11 March
2018)
Shabab
Majdal Anjar - Hikma / La Sagesse 0-2
Amal
Maarka – Ahly Sidon 4-3
Mabarrah
– Ahly Nabatieh 1-2
Egtmaaey
Tripoli – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 0-3
Bourj
– Shabab Sahel 1-0
Naser
Barelias – Homenetmen 4-3
Round 22 (17-18 March
2018)
Amal
Maarka - Hikma / La Sagesse 2-2
Shabab
Majdal Anjar – Homenetmen 0-3
Shabab
Sahel – Shabab Al-Ghazieh 2-1
Ahly
Nabatieh – Egtmaaey Tripoli 6-3
Bourj
– Mabarrah 1-1
Naser
Barelias – Ahly Sidon 0-1
Final table
1
|
Shabab
Sahel
|
22
|
16
|
2
|
4
|
56-22
|
50
|
Promoted
to the Premier League
|
2
|
Shabab
Al-Ghazieh
|
22
|
16
|
4
|
2
|
56-22
|
|
Promoted
to the Premier League
|
3
|
Bourj
|
22
|
14
|
6
|
2
|
42-19
|
48
|
|
4
|
Mabarrah
|
22
|
11
|
5
|
6
|
40-27
|
38
|
|
5
|
Ahly
Nabatieh
|
22
|
10
|
4
|
8
|
39-34
|
34
|
|
6
|
Naser
Barelias
|
22
|
9
|
3
|
10
|
29-31
|
30
|
|
7
|
Homenetmen
|
22
|
6
|
5
|
11
|
26-39
|
23
|
|
8
|
Ahly
Sidon
|
22
|
5
|
7
|
10
|
27-34
|
22
|
|
9
|
Egtmaaey
Tripoli
|
22
|
6
|
4
|
12
|
31-46
|
22
|
|
10
|
Hikma
/ La Sagesse
|
22
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
30-43
|
21
|
|
11
|
Amal
Maarka
|
22
|
3
|
7
|
12
|
27-57
|
16
|
Relegated
to the Third Division
|
12
|
Shabab
Majdal Anjar
|
22
|
3
|
3
|
16
|
16-45
|
12
|
Relegated
to the Third Division
|