2022–23_Lebanese_Premier_League
2022–23 Lebanese Premier League
61st season of the Lebanese Premier League
The 2022–23 Lebanese Premier League was the 61st season of the Lebanese Premier League, the top Lebanese league for football clubs since its establishment in 1934. The league started on 2 September 2022,[1] and ended on 12 March 2023.
| Season | 2022–23 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 September 2022 – 12 March 2023 |
| Champions | Ahed |
| Relegated | Akhaa Ahli Aley Salam Zgharta |
| AFC Cup | Ahed Nejmeh |
| Matches played | 126 |
| Goals scored | 307 (2.44 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Elhadji Malick Tall (22 goals) |
| Biggest win | Tripoli 0–6 Ansar (18 September 2022) |
| Highest scoring | Tadamon Sour 5–2 Akhaa Ahli Aley (2 October 2022) |
| Longest winning run | 6 matches Bourj |
| Longest unbeaten run | 19 matches Ansar |
| Longest winless run | 12 matches Safa Salam Zgharta |
| Longest losing run | 10 matches Chabab Ghazieh |
← 2021–22 2023–24 → | |
It was the third season to feature a "split" format, following its introduction in the 2020–21 season, in which the season was divided into two phases. Ahed won their second consecutive title, and ninth overall. Akhaa Ahli Aley and Salam Zgharta were relegated to the Lebanese Second Division.
Regulations
Each club had to involve two players under the age of 21 for at least 2,000 combined minutes, and three players for 3,000 combined minutes.[2] Also, each club was allowed a maximum of eight players over the age of 30, with only five being able to be fielded in a game.[3] In case a club was not able to meet the required number of minutes at the end of the season, they would have had three points deducted from their total in the league.[3]
For the first time since the cancelled 2019–20 season, each club could have three foreign players under contract.[2]
Format
Following its introduction in the 2020–21 season, the 2022–23 season consisted of two phases: in the first phase, each team played against one another once.[4] In the second phase, the 12 teams were divided into two groups based on their position in the first phase. Contrary to the previous season, the teams only carried over half of their point tally from the first phase.[2] After the first phase was completed, clubs could not move out of their own half in the league, even if they achieved more or fewer points than a higher or lower ranked team, respectively.[5]
The top six teams played against each other twice;[4] the champion automatically qualifies to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs—assuming they meet the criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[6] The runners-up instead directly qualified to the 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage—as long as the champions meet the AFC criteria for the AFC Champions League.[4] The bottom six teams also played against each other twice, with the bottom two teams being relegated to the Lebanese Second Division.[4]
Twelve teams competed in the league – the top ten teams from the 2021–22 Lebanese Premier League season and the two teams promoted from the Lebanese Second Division.
Stadiums and locations
Prior to the start of each season, every team chose two stadiums as their home venues. In case both stadiums were unavailable for a certain matchday, another venue was used.
- Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahed | Beirut (Ouzai) | Al Ahed Stadium[note 1] | 2,000 |
| Akhaa Ahli Aley | Aley | Amin AbdelNour Stadium | 3,500 |
| Ansar | Beirut (Tariq El Jdideh) | Ansar Stadium[note 1] | — |
| Bourj | Beirut (Bourj el-Barajneh) | Bourj el-Barajneh Stadium[note 1] | 1,500 |
| Chabab Ghazieh | Ghazieh | Kfarjoz Municipal Stadium | 2,000 |
| Nejmeh | Beirut (Ras Beirut) | Rafic Hariri Stadium[note 1] | 5,000 |
| Safa | Beirut (Wata El Msaytbeh) | Safa Stadium | 4,000 |
| Sagesse | Beirut (Achrafieh) | Sin El Fil Stadium[note 1] | — |
| Salam Zgharta | Zgharta | Zgharta Sports Complex | 5,000 |
| Shabab Sahel | Beirut (Haret Hreik) | Shabab Al Sahel Stadium[note 1] | — |
| Tadamon Sour | Tyre | Sour Municipal Stadium | 6,500 |
| Tripoli | Tripoli | Tripoli Municipal Stadium | 10,000 |
Foreign players
Lebanese clubs were allowed to have three foreign players at their disposal at any time, as well as two extra Palestinian players born in Lebanon in a given match sheet (both of whom could not be fielded at the same time in a match).[7] Moreover, each club competing in an AFC competition was allowed to field one extra foreign player, to be only played in continental matches, as the AFC allowed four foreign players to play in the starting eleven (one of whom from an AFC country).[8]
- Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Players in italics left the club during the mid-season transfer window.
| Team | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Palestinian player(s) | Former players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahed |  Emmanuel Obere |
 Issah Yakubu |
 Lee Erwin |
Samad Kadiri | |
| Akhaa Ahli Aley |  Carlos Lomba |
 Álex Chico |
 Laércio |
 Wasim Abdalhadi |
Fábio Vassalo Patrik Bordon |
| Ansar |  Ichaka Diarra |
 Houssem Louati |
 Elhadji Malick Tall |
Mohamad Hebous |
|
| Bourj | Richard Baffour |
Dennis Tetteh |
Zaher Samahe |
Stephen Sarfo | |
| Chabab Ghazieh | Ezra Amelinsa |
Chizoba Ibe |
Titteh Gideou |
Yasser Serhan |
Mani Ira Musa |
| Nejmeh | Jefinho |
Vítor Barata |
Matheus Farinha |
Abdoulaye Fall Jean Baleke | |
| Safa | Issa Keita |
Adramé Diallo |
 Fredlin Mompremier |
Ayman Abou Sahyoun |
 Alaa Hamadeh |
| Sagesse | Papa Sidibe |
Mansa Konate |
Boucounta Sarr |
Mohammed Qasem |
Sayed Payet |
| Salam Zgharta | James Innocent |
Gerônimo |
Vinícius Calamari |
Ibrahim Abdelwahhab |
Usule Martins |
| Shabab Sahel | Andrew Ikefe |
Emmanuel Nettey |
Bobby Clement |
Hadi Dawkar |
|
| Tadamon Sour | Adnan Salloum Ghassan Sarriyeh |
 Biafri Nessemon Toussaint Christian Obiozor Daouda Diop | |||
| Tripoli |  Suleiman Abu Zam'a |
Ibrahim Al Rowwad |
 Mougbaya Beni de Dieu |
Omar Kayed Ahmad Yassine Yehya Ghafour |
Hael Al Badri Ahmad Sayed Attieh El Ajjaj |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahed (C) | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 11 | +28 | 36 | Qualification for AFC Cup group stage[lower-alpha 2] |
| 2 | Nejmeh | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 34 | 14 | +20 | 34 | |
| 3 | Ansar | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 45 | 16 | +29 | 32 | |
| 4 | Shabab Sahel | 21 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 23 | |
| 5 | Bourj | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 26 | −1 | 21 | |
| 6 | Chabab Ghazieh | 21 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 16 | 39 | −23 | 6 | |
| 7 | Tadamon Sour | 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 30 | 24 | +6 | 25 | |
| 8 | Tripoli | 21 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 35 | −16 | 21 | |
| 9 | Sagesse | 21 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 26 | −8 | 18 | |
| 10 | Safa | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 30 | −12 | 15[lower-alpha 3] | |
| 11 | Salam Zgharta (R) | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 15[lower-alpha 3] | Relegation to Lebanese Second Division |
| 12 | Akhaa Ahli Aley (R) | 21 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 37 | −17 | 13 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Disciplinary points.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Nejmeh qualified for the AFC Cup group stage as 2022–23 Lebanese FA Cup winners.
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elhadji Malick Tall |
Ansar | 22 |
| 2 |  Hassan Maatouk |
Ansar | 10 |
| Mohamad Haidar |
Ahed | ||
| 4 | Adramé Diallo |
Safa | 9 |
| 5 | Khalil Bader |
Nejmeh | 8 |
| Boucounta Sarr |
Sagesse | ||
| 7 | Zein Farran |
Shabab Sahel | 7 |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamad Omar Sadek | Bourj | Tripoli | 4–1 | 9 September 2022 |
| Elhadji Malick Tall | Ansar | Tripoli | 6–0 | 18 September 2022 |
| Elhadji Malick Tall | Ansar | Chabab Ghazieh | 4–0 | 7 January 2023 |
| Khalil Bader | Nejmeh | Shabab Sahel | 4–1 | 11 February 2023 |
| Mohammad Al Massri | Akhaa Ahli Aley | Tripoli | 4–0 | 12 February 2023 |
- Only used as a training ground
- "سحب قرعة كأسي النخبة والتحدي ودوري الدرجتين الأولى والثانية وكأس لبنان". The LFA (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- "بالصور: الاتحاد اللبناني يعلن تعديلات بالجملة". كووورة. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- "الاتحاد اللبناني يعلن عن قرارات حاسمة". كووورة. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- Abou Diab, Rami (25 June 2020). "The new regulations for the Lebanese Premier League". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- "هل يُمكن أن يُحسم اللقب قبل الدورة السداسية؟". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- Abdallah, Rakan (1 August 2020). "What are the criteria for a Lebanese club to play in the Champions League?". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- "2018/2019 Lebanese Premier League Squads confirmed". FA Lebanon. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- Gineprini, Nicholas (20 March 2019). "Is a limit on foreign players, a limit for the development of Asian Football?". Calcio8Cina. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- "Lebanese First Division 2022/2023". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
