OFK Tryavna won 12-0 over Yunak 2006 Kormyansko but more difficult games are yet to come

OFK Tryavna - Yunak 2006 Kormyansko 12-0

Vasil Andreev (4 goals), Georgi Pavlov (4 goals), Tomislav Kolev (2 goals), Georgi Elenkov (2 goals).

Sunday, 26 September 2021, 2 pm local time (11 am UTC), Angel Kanchev Stadium, Tryavna, Bulgaria, 2nd round of Gabrovo County League.

OFK Tryavna won comfortably over Yunak 2006 Kormyansko, in a match which looked very much like a training session for the hosts. OFK Tryavna achieved 6 points, the maximum possible, after the first two rounds of the local Gabrovo League, but are second in the table, because Boruna Tsareva Livada have the same number of points, but a better goal difference (22-0)! Angel Kanchev Tryavna are third also with 6 points.

Manager Plamen Todorov is very pleased with the performance of his team so far. However, in the next round, they will play away at the leaders Boruna Tsareva Livada, and that match will most likely be a different story.

Good signs are also coming from the club board and the administration of Tryavna municipality, headed by the mayor Sylvia Krasteva. The junior team of OFK Tryavna has been revived and 14 teenagers aged 14 to 16 are already part of that team, managed by Georgi Elenkov, also a player in the senior team. The existence of a junior team is also a condition for acceptance in the Third League, where OFK Tryavna activated until 2021, when they were relegated to the Gabrovo County League. At the meeting held at ”Angel Kanchev” Stadium, the mayor strongly supported the idea of a junior team within the club, as well as the idea that OFK Tryavna should promote back to the Bulgarian Third League as soon as possible.

Cusco FC wins 3-2 over Academia Cantolao and keeps some chances to stay in the First Division

Cusco FC - Academia Cantolao 3-2 (0-1)

Rivera 59', Montes 62', Figueroa 85' - Leyes 16', 68'.

Monday, 27 September 2021, 11 am local time (4 pm UTC), Alberto Gallardo Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, 13th round, Stage 2, Peruvian First Division.

Cusco FC is in such a situation that they need to win (almost) every game to save themselves from relegation. It is this sort of desperation and some luck which gave them a much needed win over Academia Cantolao. Otherwise, the team looks equally weak on all fronts, and the result is mostly due to the fact that Academia Cantolao played in ten in the second half, as Reyna was sent off (for a second yellow card) right before the break.

In the first half, Cusco FC tried hard, but Academia Cantolao seemed the better team, which controlled calmly the game, allowing Cusco to attack only to trigger some deadly counterattacks, which were quite a trouble for a rather disorganized Cusco defense. Academia Cantolao took the lead early, as Reyna crossed from the left and Leyes found the target from inside the box: 0-1 (16'). Reyna, D'Arrigo, Arce and Leyes were quite happy with the large amounts of space left in the defense by Cusco, but were not able to score a second. Cusco also had their chances, but Rengifo's cross for Montes was too strong (8'), while the same Rengifo headed to the near post (37').

Cantolao remained in ten after the break and Cusco were determined to reverse the result in their favour, which eventually happened, not without lots of emotions and frustration. Alfredo Ramúa came on the field at half time and his assists were crucial. In the first 20 minutes of the second half, Cantolao were stretched into their own half and even inside their own box, and chances occurred for Cusco, one after another. In the biggest one, Gonzales hit the crossbar from close range (55'). Not much afterwards, Ramúa crossed from the left, and José Rivera headed the ball in: 1-1 (59'). Cusco's offensive continued at the same pace, and another cross by Ramúa, this time from the right, was headed in by Mauricio Montes: 2-1 (62').

The problem for Cusco was that they thought they had done enough and the game was over. Manager Marcelo Grioni event made some defensive changes, to preserve the result (64'). Even in ten men, Cantolao found the net again, as Leyes sent a precise long-range shot which took Enríquez by surprise: 2-2 (68').

Cusco FC were therefore forced to resume their all-out offensive, which finally paid off: a shot by Gonzalo Rizzo was deflected by a defender, and Figueroa headed the ball from close range, to give Cusco a much-desired victory: 3-2 (85').

Mauricio Montes (center) and Anier Figueroa (right) scored two of Cusco FC goals against Academia Cantolao. Source: futbolperuano.com

Cusco FC: Enríquez - Velásquez (Ramúa 46'), Gonzales (Tello 67'), Rizzo, Corrales - Abisab, Aubert (Royón 81') - Rengifo (Figueroa 64'), Cedrón (Carranza 64'), Rivera - Montes. Manager: Marcelo Grioni.

Cantolao: Limousin - Tajima, Otoya, Gambetta, Núñez - Solís, Salinas - Reyna, Arce, D'Arrigo (Celi 88') - Leyes (Barreiro 70'). Manager: Jorge Espejo.

Referee: Pablo López.

Yellow cards: Rizzo 37', Gonzales 51', Corrales 69', Figueroa 84', Rivera 90'+2' - Reyna 25', 45', Leyes 41', Tajima 77'.

Red card: Reyna 45' (for the second yellow card).

Cusco FC are again two points below the relegation line. Their next match, against Universidad de San Martín de Porres, direct rivals in the fight to avoid relegation, might prove decisive. There are four games remaining before the end of Stage 2 and of the 2021 season for the teams in the bottom part of the table.

Bourj FC and Al Ahed drew 1-1 in Lebanese derby

Bourj FC - Al Ahed 1-1 (1-0) 

Hussein Al Outa 31' - Mohammad Jalal Kdouh 52'.

Saturday, 25 September 2021, 3:30 pm local time (12:30 UTC), Amin Abdelnour Stadium, Bhamdoun (Aley), Lebanon, 3rd round of the Lebanese Premier League.

Bourj FC starting lineup against Al Ahed, for the first time in grey shirts. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Former champions Al Ahed started the match as big favourites, especially because they were eliminated from the AFC Cup just a few days ago at the hand of the Bahraini team Muharraq, and they badly needed a good result to resurrect their image in front of their fans and the football public. However, the usual friendly relations between the two clubs were left outside the pitch, and Bourj FC proved to be a very tough team to beat. They are in fact unbeaten after three rounds, although they have already played against defending champions Ansar and former champions Al Ahed!

The match was clearly dominated by Al Ahed, and they exerted a very high pressure on their opponents. Al Ahed players missed several good chances to take the lead, while Bourj have rarely crossed the half line. Nevertheless, it was Bourj which scored first: Youssef Anbar had a wonderful run on the left, he crossed perfectly for Hussein Al Outa, who headed in from close range: 1-0 (31').

Hussein Al Outa (last to the right) is congratulated by his teammates for the goal. Source: Bourj FC Facebook page.

After the goal, Al Ahed resumed their attacks, but Bourj FC players defended ferociously their slim advantage. It was only in the beginning of the second half when Al Ahed succeeded to score the equalizer, from a rather unusual situation: Mohammad Haidar passed to Mohammad Jamal Kdouh, who crossed from the right, the ball took a strange trajectory and landed in the upper corner of the goal, to Abdelkarim Saleh's surprise: 1-1 (52').

Ali Kharroubi (left) challenges former Bourj player Zein Farran (in yellow), assisted by Youssef Anbar (#77). Source: Bourj FC Facebook page

Afterwards, all Al Ahed's efforts to score a winner were blocked by a very determined Bourj defense, led by the goalkeeper Abdelkarim Saleh, who made some crucial saves.

Bourj FC: Abdelkarim Saleh - Mohammad El Dor, Khodor Hallak, Hassan Abdallah Bitar, Youssef Anbar - Ali Kharroubi, Hussein Ibrahim "Saaouk" (Mohammad Al Faour 59'), Abbas Ali Atwi "Onika" (Mohammad Kassem 59') - Hassan Mehanna (Abou Baker Al Mel 85'), Akram Moghrabi (Ibrahim Abou Hamdan 78'), Hussein Al Outa (Ali Merkabaoui 59'). Manager: Fouad Hijazi.

Al Ahed: Mostafa Matar - Hussein Zein (Ali Hadid 85'), Haytham Faour, Hamza Kheir, Hussein Dakik - Hassan Srour (Habib Choueikh 58'), Hussein Monzer, Mohammad Haidar - Mohammad Jalal Kdouh, Hussein Haidar, Zein Farran (Mohammad Nasser 46'). Manager: Bojan Trkulja.

Referee: Hussein Abou Yahya.

Yellow cards: Hussein Dakik 34', Hussein Haidar 70'.

Bourj FC are now third, with 5 points, below leaders Shabab Sahel (7 points) and Hikma / Sagesse (6 points). Al Ahed have 4 points but also a game in hand, to be played next Thursday against Shabab El Bourj.

Except for this match, the Lebanese League takes a break caused by the matches of the national team, and it will resume in mid-October. The next league match for Bourj is scheduled on Sunday, 17 October, against Lebanese giants Nejmeh.

Cusco FC are closer to relegation than ever before after a 3-2 loss to Sport Boys

Sport Boys - Cusco FC 3-2 (1-0)

Villamarín 43', 73', T. Carranza 90'+1' penalty - Rengifo 58', Montes 86' penalty.

Wednesday, 22 September 2021, 11 am local time (4 pm UTC), Iván Elías Moreno Stadium, Lima (neutral ground), Peru, 12th round of Stage 2, Peruvian First Division (Liga 1).

Joao Villamarín (left) scored a brace while Tarek Carranza (center) scored the decisive goal in stoppage time to get Sport Boys a win. Source: depor.com

There are only five rounds to go and Cusco FC are closer than ever to relegation to the Second Division. It is hard to believe that, but sooner or later it has to be accepted as such - at this moment only a miracle would make them remain in the First Division, especially because they lose almost every match while the other opponents in the fight to avoid relegation win. 

The game against Sport Boys was one of those "accessible" for Cusco FC, at least in theory. In practice, things were a bit different. Sport Boys are now one of the teams fighting at the upper end, to get to Copa Libertadores - just like other ten teams or so, because except for the first two and the last two in the classification, all the others are very close and any good result might determine a considerable jump in the table.

In the field, one would have expected Cusco FC to be more determined to win, because they needed the three points more than the opponents. In reality, the match was very disputed and, fair to say, Sport Boys were better overall and deserved to win, although they were rather lucky in the end. Cusco FC without Abisab and / or Ramúa are lacking creativity, innovation, surprise. They were decent, they fought well, but it was not enough. Sport Boys had a small technical and tactical advantage that proved decisive in the end.

In the first half, the two teams battled mostly in midfield, but there were also a few chances, for both teams. Right before half time, Sport Boys took the lead: Luis Ramírez assisted Joao Villamarín who did not miss from a great position inside the box: 1-0 (43').

It was a heavy blow for Cusco FC, which prepared everything for an offensive second half. It finally paid off: Aubert lifted a ball in the box, goalkeeper Álvarez tried to send the ball away by boxing it, but it only reached Figueroa, who headed it back, and Rengifo sent it in from very close range: 1-1 (58').

Marcelo Grioni was about to make two offensive changes when the equalizer came. Eventually only Carranza was sent in to replace Aubert, and this is one thing I do not understand: why did Cusco stop attacking at 1-1? Was it a good score for them? Normally they needed to win, so they should have continued their offensive rage. Instead, the game became balanced once again, Sport Boys and Cusco alternating the good moments.

Cedrón crossed perfectly for Montes, but his header was saved by Álvarez, from whom the ball deflected into the crossbar (71'). Instead of 2-1 for Cusco, it was 2-1 for Sport Boys: after a corner from the left side, goalkeeper Enríquez was unable to catch the ball, which got to Joao Villamarín, who scored his second of the day (73').

Cusco FC returned with the all-offensive tactic which proved beneficial at the beginning of the half. Ramúa was eventually sent in (78') to better coordinate the attacks. It took 13 minutes to equalize once again, the same period as the one at the beginning of the half. Miguel Carranza was fouled inside the box by Torrejón and the penalty was transformed by Mauricio Montes: 2-2 (86').

Cusco FC needed to defend well for just a few minutes to get one point. Nevertheless, a foul by Velásquez on Campana inside the box led to another penalty, this time for Sport Boys, transformed by Tarek Carranza: 3-2 (90'+1'). And there was not enough time left for Cusco FC to equalize once again...

Sport Boys: Álvarez - Rostaing, Revoredo, Fuentes, Bolívar (Nungaray 65') - Torrejón, T. Carranza, L. Ramírez (Uribe 90'+5') - Villamarín, Penco (Campana 65'), Alarcón. Manager: Ytalo Manzo.

Cusco FC: Enríquez - Velásquez, Figueroa, Rizzo, Corrales - Gonzales, Tello (Ramúa 78'), Aubert (M. Carranza 62') - Cedrón, Montes, Rengifo. Manager: Marcelo Grioni.

Referee: Hibert Villegas.

Yellow cards: Ramírez 31', Revoredo 33', Torrejón 84'.

Cusco FC will have two decisive matches next, against Academia Cantolao and Universidad de San Martín. They are last in the classification, so there is nothing to lose. They need to win both matches, and this can be done. Despite their disastrous season, Cusco FC may still have the upper hand in these encounters. It is also their last chance, their last hope. Manager Marcelo Grioni must find a way to improve the morale of the players and to win these matches.

2021-2022 Lebanese Premier League

 

2021-2022 Lebanese Premier League

 

Season	2021-2022
Dates	11 September 2021 – 4 June 2022
Champions	Al Ahed
AFC Cup	Al Ahed
Relegated	AC Sporting Beirut Shabab El Bourj
Matches played	114
Goals scored	273 (2.39 / match on average)
Top goalscorer	Mahmoud Siblini (Nejmeh) and Fadel Antar (Shabab Sahel) – 10 goals
Biggest home win	Shabab El Bourj – Hikma / Sagesse 6-0 (round 9, 9 January 2022)
Biggest away win	Shabab Sahel – Ansar 0-6 (round 1 of play-off, 10 March 2022)
Highest scoring	Shabab El Bourj – Hikma / Sagesse 6-0 (round 9, 9 January 2022) Shabab Sahel – Ansar 0-6 (round 1 of play-off, 10 March 2022)
Longest winning run	Bourj FC – 8 matches (rounds 7-11 + rounds 1-3 in play-off)
Longest unbeaten run	Al Ahed – 19 matches (unbeaten throughout the whole season)
Longest winless run	AC Sporting Beirut – 8 matches (rounds 3-10 in play-out)
Longest losing run	AC Sporting Beirut – 7 matches (rounds 4-10 in play-out)

 

Competition details and format

 

The Lebanese Premier League, or simply the Lebanese League, represents the top tier of the football system in Lebanon. It is organised by the Lebanese Football Association and the 2021-2022 season was the 60^th completed one since its establishment in 1934. Ansar were the defending champions, but had a rather poor start of the season, barely qualifying for the championship play-off. Their performance improved in the play-off, but they remained much behind Al Ahed. Al Ahed finished undefeated and became champions, winning their 8^th title.

The competition started on 11 September 2021 under strict conditions due to COVID-19 pandemic, similar to those of the 2020-2021 season. The same health-related rules were implemented and had to be respected by the teams, including staff and players, while spectators were not allowed in the stands until the second stage, when only a limited number of fans (who had to respect health protocols) of each team were allowed. Foreign players were not allowed in the squads in the first stage, except for Lebanese-born Palestinians. In the second stage, teams could include one foreign player.

The competition format of the 2020-2021 season was also partly kept for 2021-2022, involving two stages, but changing the format of the second stage. In the first (regular) stage, the established format was a single round-robin championship, each team playing all other teams once, a total of 11 rounds. This stage started on 11 September 2021 and was scheduled to end on 16 January 2022, but only ended on 20 February 2022 with the last of the postponed matches. However, most of the teams finished the first stage on 22 January 2022. This stage involved several breaks, in the beginning of October, the end of November and the first half of December, due to the schedule of the Lebanon national team.

After the first stage, there was a winter break, initially scheduled in the second half of January. This break also represented a transfer window period. However, due to the juridical conflict between Al Ahed and Nejmeh regarding their head-to-head match, and the associated trial at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, the winter break extended for the entire month of February and in the first days of March 2022.

For the second stage, teams were divided into two groups: the top 6 teams played each other twice (instead of once, as it had been in 2020-2021) in a double round robin championship for the title in a play-off group, while the bottom 6 teams played each other also twice in a double round robin championship to avoid relegation, in a play-out group. Points earned in the first stage were carried over in the second stage. The second stage started on 9 March 2022 and was initially scheduled to end on 6 May 2022, but it ended only on 4 June 2022 due to the general elections and the participation of Ansar and Nejmeh in the AFC Cup in May. It also involved a break in the second half of March due to the schedule of the national team of Lebanon.

Matches were usually played on Saturdays and Sundays, and rarely on Fridays or Mondays. Some of the matches were also played mid-week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, for various reasons. The usual kick-off time was in the afternoon. MTV Lebanon had the broadcasting rights for all the matches of the Lebanese Premier League but they broadcasted only some of the matches, through MTV Sports, on different media outlets, including their TV channel, YouTube channel and Facebook. The other matches were broadcasted by the Lebanon FA on their YouTube channel.

Matches in the first stage of the season were played according to a drawing of lots. Because of this system, some teams had a higher number of matches on their home ground than others. However, the location of some of the matches was changed in order to provide a more balanced and equal situation for all the teams, and therefore some of the matches were played on neutral grounds. In fact, only a couple of teams used their own ground for their home matches, and most of the teams (especially those in Beirut) could not use their home grounds and instead played their home matches at designated stadiums in and around Beirut.

In the second stage of the season, teams played each other according to the table after the first stage, in two groups: the top 6 teams were involved in the play-off (championship) group, while the bottom 6 teams were included in the play-out group. Matches in the second stage were scheduled in such a way that the first classified played the last classified in the first round and then with each team upper classified in the table, until they played the second classified in the last round. Therefore, the potentially decisive matches were scheduled in the last round.

The champions have the right to play in the AFC Champions League in the next season (2022-2023) if they meet the criteria set by the AFC. If so, the runners-up and the Lebanese FA Cup winners will have the right to participate in the next year AFC Cup. If the FA Cup winners are classified first or second, then the third classified are allowed to play in the AFC Cup. However, due to the ongoing economic problems in Lebanon, it is most likely that the champions will only play in the AFC Cup, along with the Lebanese FA Cup winners. The teams classified in the upper half of the table (position 1 through 6) will play the Elite Cup in summer 2022, while the teams classified in the lower half of the table (position 7 through 10), except the relegated ones (classified 11^th and 12^th), will play in the Challenge Cup in summer 2022, together with the two teams promoted from the Second Division at the end of the 2021-2022 season. The last two teams in the classification will be relegated to the Second Division.

The defending champions, Ansar, were among the main favourites for the title this year, together with Nejmeh and Al Ahed. In recent years, these three teams have been the usual contenders for the title. However, in this year, only Al Ahed had a really good season, while Ansar had a very poor start and had issues in qualifying for the championship play-off. On the other hand, Nejmeh seemed to be the only team capable of challenging Al Ahed for the title, but they did not show up in the head-to-head match against Al Ahed in round 9, protesting for refereeing decisions in their previous matches. Initially, the Lebanese FA awarded the match 3-0 to Al Ahed and gave a 6-point penalty and a fine to Nejmeh for no show, but the decision was contested and the Lebanese Board of Appeal overturned the decision in favour of Nejmeh. Al Ahed addressed the issue to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS / TAS) in Lausanne, and the league was interrupted for about a month in February and the beginning of March 2022, waiting for the CAS decision, which eventually maintained the initial decision of the Lebanese FA. Because of the 6-point penalty, Nejmeh also failed to qualify for the play-off. As a result, Al Ahed became big favorites to win the title once again, although they were surprisingly challenged by Bourj FC, which had a winning streak of 8 matches. However, in the fourth round of play-off, Bourj FC lost their first match of the season, 3-0 to Ansar, while Al Ahed won 4-1 over Shabab Sahel, and the gap between the leaders, Al Ahed, and the second classified, Bourj FC, increased to 7 points. In the seventh round of the play-off, Bourj lost again to Ansar, 2-0, while Al Ahed won 4-0 over Tadamon Sour, increasing the gap to 10 points. As a result, Al Ahed mathematically became champions with three rounds to go on 18 April 2022.

Ansar eventually clinched the second place because Bourj FC failed to win any of their last four matches, finishing third. Shabab Sahel came in fourth position. On the other hand, Shabab El Bourj and Tadamon Sour were quite happy to qualify for the play-off and finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Tadamon Sour and Shabab El Bourj were the only teams in the Lebanese Premier League which did not contract a foreign player for the second stage of the season, because their target had been already met.

The realistic goal for most teams was in fact to classify in the upper half of the table at the end of the first stage, in order to play the championship play-off and the Elite Cup next summer and to stay away from relegation as much as possible. AC Tripoli and Nejmeh (due to the 6-point penalty) missed the play-off for a small margin and had to play in the play-out, in which they had no problems regarding relegation and they fought for the seventh place.

All the other teams were involved in the fight to avoid relegation. Newly-promoted teams AC Sporting Beirut and Hikma / Sagesse were among those expected to be contenders in the fight to avoid relegation, and they were joined by Safa and Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley, which both had a poor season. After five consecutive defeats, AC Sporting Beirut were mathematically relegated after round 8 of play-out, on 24 April 2022, when they lost 3-2 to Nejmeh, and therefore the 8-point gap between them and the tenth place (the first team above the relegation line), with two rounds to go, became impossible to cover. The second relegated team was only decided in the last round, on 17 May 2022. Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley won 4-0 over already relegated AC Sporting and were saved. The decisive match was therefore played between Hikma / Sagesse and Safa. Hikma / Sagesse, which only needed a draw to avoid relegation, won 1-0, and therefore Safa were relegated.

However, this soon changed unexpectedly. The match between Shabab El Bourj and Ansar, initially scheduled to be played in the last round of the play-off on 20 May 2022, had to be postponed for 4 June, because Ansar played in the AFC Cup. In the meantime, Shabab El Bourj surprisingly announced that they withdrew from the league, as they were under pressure from FIFA to compensate their former Ivorian player Christ Remi, who had issued a complaint against them some time ago. On 30 May 2022, the Lebanese FA announced that Shabab El Bourj were relegated to the Second League, they were fined 12.5 million Lebanese pounds and all their results in the championship play-off were cancelled. This also effectively changed the final table of the championship play-off, because Ansar came in second place in front of Bourj FC without playing their final match of the season (under normal circumstances, Ansar needed at least a draw against Shabab El Bourj to climb on the second place). The highest impact of this decision was nonetheless concerning relegation, as Safa¸ though initially relegated, were received back in the Premier League, while Shabab El Bourj were instead relegated to the Second Division (and later disbanded). Rumour had it Safa were looking anyway for a merger with Shabab El Bourj to escape relegation. The merger did not officially take place, although most players and staff from Shabab El Bourj moved to Safa for the following season, while Shabab El Bourj failed to enroll even in the Second Division and disbanded.

 

Team changes from the 2020-2021

 

Promoted from the Second Division

 

AC Sporting Beirut (1^st in the Second Division)

Hikma / Sagesse (2^nd in the Second Division)

 

Relegated from the Premier League

 

Salam Zgharta

Shabab Al Ghazieh

 

Teams

 

Please note that teams in Beirut and the southern suburbs of Beirut usually play their home matches on different grounds than their own, while their own stadium is used only as a training ground. Most of the stadiums in Beirut are no longer available for league matches. Some matches are played on neutral grounds. Only 6 stadiums are allowed to host Premier League matches, 3 of them in the surroundings of Beirut which are home grounds for 10 teams.

 

Team	Home town	Stadium	Capacity	2020-2021
Ansar	Beirut (Tariq el Jdideh)	Ansar[1]	500	Champions
		Fouad Chehab	5,000
		Saida International	22,600
Nejmeh	Beirut (Ras Beirut)	Rafic El Hariri[2]	5,000	Runners-up
		Fouad Chehab	5,000
		Saida International	22,600
Shabab Sahel	Haret Hreik	Shabab Sahel[3]	500	3rd
		Al Ahed	2,000
Al Ahed	Bourj el-Barajneh (Ouzai)	Al Ahed	2,000	4th
		Fouad Chehab	5,000
Safa SC	Beirut (Wata el-Museitbeh)	Safa[4]	4,000	5th
		Fouad Chehab	5,000
		Amin Abdelnour	3,500
		Saida International	22,600
Al Akhaa Al Ahly	Aley	Amin Abdelnour	3,500	6th
Bourj FC	Bourj el-Barajneh	Bourj el-Barajneh[5]	1,500	7th
		Amin Abdelnour	3,500
Shabab El Bourj	Bourj el-Barajneh	Bourj el-Barajneh[5]	1,500	8th
		Al Ahed	2,000
AC Tripoli	Tripoli	Tripoli Municipal	10,000	9th
Tadamon Sour	Tyre / Sour	Sour Municipal	6,500	10th
AC Sporting	Beirut	Rafic El Hariri[2]	5,000	Promoted
		Amin Abdelnour	3,500
		Al Ahed	2,000
Hikma / Sagesse	Beirut (Achrafieh)	Fouad Chehab	5,000	Promoted

 

List of stadiums used for matches in the Premier League

 

The number of stadiums used for matches in the Premier League has decreased dramatically in recent years, and only 6 stadiums were allowed to host Premier League matches in 2021-2022. Three of these stadiums are located in the surroundings of Beirut and are home grounds for no less than 10 teams. Note that some of these teams may use two stadiums as their home ground.

 

Name of the stadium	City	Capacity	Teams
Fouad Chehab	Jounieh	5,000	Hikma / Sagesse, Ansar, Nejmeh, Safa, Al Ahed
Amin Abdelnour	Aley (Bhamdoun)	3,500	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley, Bourj, Safa, AC Sporting
Al Ahed	Bourj el-Barajneh (Ouzai)	2,000	Al Ahed, Shabab Sahel, Shabab El Bourj, AC Sporting
Saida International	Sidon / Saida	22,600	Ansar, Nejmeh, Safa
Tripoli Municipal	Tripoli	10,000	AC Tripoli
Sour Municipal	Tyre / Sour	6,500	Tadamon Sour

 

Geographical distribution of teams

 

Most of the teams (9 out of 12) are from Beirut and the southern suburbs of Beirut. Another team, Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley, is located in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, also not far from Beirut. One team, AC Tripoli, is located in the North Governorate, while another team, Tadamon Sour, is located in the South Governorate.

 

Location of the 2021-2022 Lebanese Premier League teams.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021-22_Lebanese_Premier_League

 

Location of the Beirut teams and of those in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021-22_Lebanese_Premier_League

 

Part of Lebanon	No. of teams	Teams
Beirut (proper)	5	Ansar, Nejmeh, Safa, Hikma / Sagesse, Sporting
Southern suburbs of Beirut[6]	4	Al Ahed, Bourj, Shabab El Bourj, Shabab Sahel
North	1	AC Tripoli
Mount Lebanon[7]	1	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley
South	1	Tadamon Sour

 

Foreign players

 

In the first stage, foreign players were not allowed in the squads, except for Lebanese-born Palestinian players. The reasons were mainly economic ones, as the Lebanese economy was in a very poor state, and health-related ones, due to COVID-19 pandemic.

In the second stage, each team was allowed to have one foreign player in the squad.

 

Foreign players used by the Lebanese Premier League teams in 2021-2022 season

 

Team	Foreign player
Ansar	Ichaka Diarra (MLI)
Nejmeh	Pedro Kadri (BRA)
Shabab Sahel	Christian Obiozor (NGA)
Al Ahed	Ahmed Akaïchi (TUN)
Safa SC	Nicholas Cofie (GHA)
Al Akhaa Al Ahly	Dennis Tetteh (GHA)
Bourj FC	Bersyl Obassi (CGO)
Shabab El Bourj	-
AC Tripoli	Joseph Ansah (GHA)
Tadamon Sour	-
AC Sporting	Junior Mala (CMR)
Hikma / Sagesse	Boucounta Sarr (SEN)

 

Compulsory use of young players

 

All teams have to use at least three young players, under 22 years of age, in the Premier League. There should be a minimum of 600 aggregate minutes played by one such player, a minimum of 800 combined minutes played by two young players and a minimum of 1200 combined minutes for three or more young players.

If teams fail to comply, points would be deducted at the end of the season.

Also, only eight players above the age of 30 were allowed in a roster, and only five of them could be used simultaneously in the field.

 

First stage

 

Round 1 (11-13 September 2021)

 

AC Sporting – Hikma / Sagesse 1-3

Shabab El Bourj – Tadamon Sour 0-0

Shabab Sahel – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 1-1

Bourj – Ansar 1-0

Nejmeh – Safa 0-0

AC Tripoli – Al Ahed 0-1

 

Round 2 (17-19 September 2021)

 

AC Sporting – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 0-1

Shabab Sahel – Safa 5-0

Hikma / Sagesse – Ansar 0-3

Bourj – Tadamon Sour 1-1

AC Tripoli – Nejmeh 0-0

Al Ahed – Shabab El Bourj 2-1 – played on 30 September 2021

 

Round 3 (25-26 September 2021)

 

Shabab Sahel – AC Tripoli 4-1

Bourj – Al Ahed 1-1

Tadamon Sour – Hikma / Sagesse 0-1

Ansar – AC Sporting 0-0

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Safa 0-1

Nejmeh – Shabab El Bourj 5-0

 

Round 4 (16-18 October 2021)

 

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Ahed 0-3

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Ansar 0-2

Shabab El Bourj – Shabab Sahel 0-1

Nejmeh – Bourj 2-2

Tadamon Sour – AC Sporting 4-1

Safa – AC Tripoli 1-2

 

Round 5 (6 November 2021)

 

Hikma / Sagesse – Nejmeh 0-2

Tadamon Sour – Ansar 2-2

AC Sporting – Al Ahed 0-2

AC Tripoli – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 2-1

Shabab El Bourj – Safa 1-1

Shabab Sahel – Bourj 0-0

 

Round 6 (19-21 November 2021)

 

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Tadamon Sour 2-1

AC Tripoli – Shabab El Bourj 0-3

Safa – Bourj 0-0

Nejmeh – AC Sporting 1-0

Shabab Sahel – Hikma / Sagesse 3-1

Ansar – Al Ahed 0-2

 

Round 7 (27-28 December 2021)

 

Tadamon Sour – Al Ahed 0-0

AC Sporting – Shabab Sahel 2-0

Ansar – Nejmeh 0-1

AC Tripoli – Bourj 0-2

Shabab El Bourj – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 2-1

Hikma / Sagesse – Safa 2-0

 

Round 8 (2-3 January 2022)

 

Tadamon Sour – Nejmeh 1-1

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Al Ahed 0-1

Hikma / Sagesse – AC Tripoli 0-3

Bourj – Shabab El Bourj 2-0

AC Sporting – Safa 3-0

Ansar – Shabab Sahel 2-3

 

Round 9 (8-9 January 2022)

 

Shabab Sahel – Tadamon Sour 1-2

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Bourj 1-2

Shabab El Bourj – Hikma / Sagesse 6-0

AC Sporting – AC Tripoli 0-3

Ansar – Safa 2-0

Al Ahed – Nejmeh 3-0 (awarded, Nejmeh did not attend the game)

 

Round 10 (14-15 January 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Ansar 2-2

Shabab El Bourj – AC Sporting 2-1

Safa – Tadamon Sour 1-0

Al Ahed – Shabab Sahel 3-0

Bourj – Hikma / Sagesse 2-0

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Nejmeh 0-0 – played on 20 February 2022

 

Round 11 (21-22 January 2022)

 

Bourj – AC Sporting 2-1

Tadamon Sour – AC Tripoli 1-0

Nejmeh – Shabab Sahel 1-2

Al Ahed – Safa 2-1

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 0-0

Ansar – Shabab El Bourj 4-0 – played on 19 February 2022

 

          Final table of the first stage (regular season)

 

1	Al Ahed	11	9	2	0	20-3	29
2	Bourj	11	6	5	0	15-6	23
3	Shabab Sahel	11	6	2	3	20-13	20
4	Ansar	11	4	3	4	17-11	15
5	Shabab El Bourj	11	4	2	5	15-17	14	[8]
6	Tadamon Sour	11	3	5	3	12-10	14	[8]
7	AC Tripoli	11	4	2	5	13-15	14	[8]
8	Nejmeh	11	4	5	2	13-8	11	[9]
9	Hikma / Sagesse	11	3	1	7	7-23	10
10	Safa	11	2	3	6	5-17	9	[10]
11	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley	11	2	3	6	7-12	9	[10]
12	AC Sporting	11	2	1	8	9-18	7

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

Second stage

 

Play-off

 

Round 1 (9-10 March 2022)

 

Bourj – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 1-0 on the field)

Al Ahed – Tadamon Sour 2-0

Shabab Sahel – Ansar 0-6

 

Round 2 (14-15 March 2022)

 

Shabab El Bourj – Al Ahed cancelled (initially 0-3 on the field)

Ansar – Tadamon Sour 1-0

Bourj – Shabab Sahel 2-0

 

Round 3 (18-19 March 2022)

 

Al Ahed – Ansar 0-0

Tadamon Sour – Bourj 0-1

Shabab Sahel – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 4-1 on the field)

 

Round 4 (1-3 April 2022)

 

Tadamon Sour – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 2-0 on the field)

Ansar – Bourj 3-0

Al Ahed – Shabab Sahel 4-1

 

Round 5 (8-9 April 2022)

 

Shabab Sahel – Tadamon Sour 2-0

Ansar – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 2-2 on the field)

Ahed – Bourj 1-1

 

Table after the first half of play-off

 

1	Al Ahed	16	12	4	0	30-5	40
2	Bourj	16	9	6	1	20-10	33
3	Ansar	16	7	5	4	29-13	26
4	Shabab Sahel	16	8	2	6	27-26	26
5	Tadamon Sour	16	4	5	7	14-16	17
6	Shabab El Bourj	16	4	3	9	18-29	15

 

This table was made according to the results in the field at that time, without taking into account the later cancellation of Shabab El Bourj results.

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

Round 6 (13-14 April 2022)

 

Bourj – Tadamon Sour 2-1

Ansar – Shabab Sahel 2-0

Al Ahed – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 6-0 on the field)

 

Round 7 (18 April 2022)

 

Tadamon Sour – Al Ahed 0-4

Shabab Sahel – Shabab El Bourj cancelled (initially 1-2 on the field)

Bourj – Ansar 0-2

 

Round 8 (23 April 2022)

 

Shabab Sahel – Al Ahed 0-3

Shabab El Bourj – Bourj cancelled (initially 1-0 on the field)

Tadamon Sour – Ansar 1-2

 

Round 9 (29 April 2022)

 

Shabab Sahel – Bourj 1-1

Shabab El Bourj – Tadamon Sour cancelled (initially 2-2 on the field)

Ansar – Al Ahed 1-1

 

Round 10 (20 May 2022)

 

Bourj – Al Ahed 0-2

Tadamon Sour – Shabab Sahel 1-4

Shabab El Bourj – Ansar cancelled (scheduled to be played on 4 June 2022, but Shabab El Bourj withdrew from the league on 30 May, all their results in the play-off were cancelled and they were relegated to the Second Division)

 

Table

 

1	Al Ahed (C)	19	14	5	0	37-6	47	Qualified for the AFC Cup
2	Ansar	19	10	5	4	34-13	35
3	Bourj	19	9	7	3	22-16	34
4	Shabab Sahel	19	8	3	8	28-32	27
5	Shabab El Bourj (R)	11	4	2	5	15-17	14	[11] Relegated to the Second Division
6	Tadamon Sour	19	3	5	11	15-28	14	[11]

 

C – Champions

R – Relegated

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

 

Play-out

 

Round 1 (10-12 March 2022)

 

AC Sporting – AC Tripoli 0-1

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Nejmeh 0-3

Safa – Hikma / Sagesse 0-0

 

Round 2 (15 March 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 2-1

AC Sporting – Safa 1-0

Nejmeh – Hikma / Sagesse 2-0

 

Round 3 (19-20 March 2022)

 

Nejmeh – AC Sporting 1-1

Safa – AC Tripoli 0-2

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 0-1

 

Round 4 (1-3 April 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Hikma / Sagesse 0-1

AC Sporting – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 0-1

Nejmeh – Safa 1-2

 

Round 5 (8-10 April 2022)

 

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Safa 2-1

Hikma / Sagesse – AC Sporting 2-1

AC Tripoli – Nejmeh 0-0

 

Table after the first half of play-out

 

7	AC Tripoli	16	7	3	6	18-17	24
8	Nejmeh	16	6	7	3	20-11	19	[12]
9	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley	16	5	3	8	12-18	18
10	Hikma / Sagesse	16	5	2	9	10-27	17
11	Safa	16	3	4	9	8-23	13
12	AC Sporting	16	3	2	11	12-23	11

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

Round 6 (14 April 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – AC Sporting 1-0

Nejmeh – Safa 3-2

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Hikma / Sagesse 0-2

 

Round 7 (19 April 2022)

 

AC Tripoli – Safa 1-2

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Nejmeh 0-0

AC Sporting – Hikma / Sagesse 1-2

 

Round 8 (24 April 2022)

 

Hikma / Sagesse – AC Tripoli 1-1

AC Sporting – Nejmeh 2-3

Safa – Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley 4-0

 

Round 9 (30 April 2022)

 

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – AC Tripoli 2-0

Hikma / Sagesse – Nejmeh 0-2

Safa – AC Sporting 3-1

 

Round 10 (17 May 2022)

 

Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – AC Sporting 4-0

Hikma / Sagesse – Safa 1-0

AC Tripoli – Nejmeh 1-1 (played on 4 June 2022)

 

Table

 

7	Nejmeh	21	9	9	3	29-16	30	[13]
8	AC Tripoli	21	8	5	8	22-23	29
9	Hikma / Sagesse	21	8	3	10	16-31	27
10	Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley	21	7	4	10	18-24	25
11	Safa	21	6	4	11	19-29	22	[14]
12	AC Sporting (R)	21	3	2	15	16-36	11	Relegated to the Second Division

 

R – Relegated

 

If two or more teams have the same number of points, the results of head-to-head matches between them are the main ranking criteria.

 

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[1] This stadium is mainly used as a training ground for Ansar.

[2] Rafic El Hariri Stadium in the Ras Beirut (Al Manara) area of Beirut is mainly used as a training ground for Nejmeh and AC Sporting.

[3] This stadium is used only as a training ground for Shabab Sahel.

[4] Safa Stadium in Beirut is mainly used as a training ground for Safa.

[5] The stadium in Bourj el-Barajneh is used only as a training ground for Bourj FC and Shabab El Bourj.

[6] Officially, the southern suburbs of Beirut, also known as Dahieh, are administratively included in the Baabda District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate. However, they have very strong ties to the city of Beirut.

[7] Except for the area of the southern suburbs of Beirut.

[8] Head-to-head points and goal difference: Shabab El Bourj 4 points (3-0), Tadamon Sour 4 points (1-0), AC Tripoli 0 points.

[9] Nejmeh were deducted 6 points for not attending the game against Al Ahed in round 9.

[10] Safa ahead of Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley in head-to-head match: Al Akhaa Al Ahly Aley – Safa 0-1.

[11] Head-to-head match: Shabab El Bourj – Tadamon Sour 0-0. Shabab El Bourj ahead of Tadamon Sour due to goal difference. Despite finishing fifth, Shabab El Bourj were relegated to the Second Division because they had withdrawn from the league before the last round.

[12] Nejmeh were deducted 6 points for not attending the game against Al Ahed in round 9.

[13] Nejmeh were deducted 6 points for not attending the game against Al Ahed in round 9.

[14] Safa had been initially relegated, but they were received back in the Premier League when Shabab El Bourj withdrew from the league and were consequently relegated.