The 2017–18 Saudi Second Division was the 42nd season of the Saudi Second Division since its establishment in 1976.

The season featured 13 teams from the 2016–17 campaign, three new teams relegated from the 2016–17 First Division: Al-Adalh, Al-Jeel and Wej, and four new teams promoted from the 2016–17 Third Division: Al-Kholood as champions, Al-Hejaz as runners-up, Al-Taqadom as third place and Al-Jubail as fourth place. The league began on 19 October 2017 and ended on 17 March 2018.[1]

Team changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2016–17 season.

Teams

Group A
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Locations of teams in the 2017–18 Saudi Second Division Group A
Club Location Stadium
Abha Abha Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium
Al-Adalh Al-Hasa Reserve Stadium in Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-Ansar Medina Al-Ansar Club Stadium
Al-Badaya Al Bukayriyah Al-Amal Club Stadium
Al-Diriyah Diriyah Reserve Stadium in Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium (Riyadh)
Al-Jabalain Ha'il Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium
Al-Jubail Jubail Al-Jubail Club Stadium
Al-Kholood Ar Rass Al Hazm Club Stadium
Al-Riyadh Riyadh Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Stadium
Hetten Samtah Reserve Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City (Jeddah)
Group B
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Locations of teams in the 2017–18 Saudi Second Division Group B
Club Location Stadium
Al-Ain Al Atawilah King Saud Sport City Stadium (Al Bahah)
Al-Hejaz Baljurashi King Saud Sport City Stadium (Al Bahah)
Al-Jeel Al-Hasa Reserve Stadium in Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-Muzahimiyyah Al-Muzahmiyya Ergah Stadium
Al-Sharq Ad Dilam Al-Shoulla Club Stadium (Al-Kharj)
Al-Suqoor Tabuk King Khalid Sport City Stadium
Al-Taqadom Al Mithnab Al-Najma Club Stadium (Unaizah)
Al-Thoqbah Khobar Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-Washm Shaqra Al-Washm Club Stadium
Wej Ta'if King Fahd Stadium

Group A

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Al-Jabalain (P) 18 11 3 4 24 11 +13 36 Promotion to Prince Mohammad bin Salman League and Qualification to the Final
2 Al-Ansar (P) 18 11 2 5 26 15 +11 35 Promotion to Prince Mohammad bin Salman League
3 Al-Adalh (P) 18 9 3 6 26 27 −1 30
4 Abha (O, P) 18 7 6 5 20 22 −2 27 Qualification to Promotion play-offs
5 Hetten 18 7 5 6 36 25 +11 26
6 Al-Kholood 18 6 7 5 18 16 +2 25
7 Al-Jubail 18 5 4 9 19 20 −1 19
8 Al-Riyadh 18 4 5 9 16 25 −9 17
9 Al-Badaya (R) 18 3 7 8 16 27 −11 16 Qualification to Relegation play-offs
10 Al-Diriyah (O) 18 3 6 9 18 31 −13 15
Source: Kooora
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total goal difference; 3) Head-to-Head points; 4) Head-to-Head goal difference; 5) Head-to-Head goal scored; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Play-off (only for deciding champion, promotion and relegation).[2]
(O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Group B

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Al-Washm (C, P) 18 10 5 3 29 19 +10 35 Promotion to Prince Mohammad bin Salman League and Qualification to the Final
2 Al-Jeel (P) 18 9 4 5 25 17 +8 31[a] Promotion to Prince Mohammad bin Salman League
3 Al-Ain (P) 18 8 7 3 28 22 +6 31[a]
4 Al-Taqadom 18 7 7 4 23 16 +7 28 Qualification to Promotion play-offs
5 Al-Muzahimiyyah 18 7 6 5 23 16 +7 27
6 Al-Hejaz 18 6 6 6 24 29 −5 24
7 Al-Suqoor 18 5 5 8 21 26 −5 20
8 Al-Sharq 18 3 7 8 20 27 −7 16[b]
9 Al-Thoqbah (O) 18 3 7 8 22 30 −8 16[b] Qualification to Relegation play-offs
10 Wej (O) 18 3 4 11 20 33 −13 13
Source: Kooora
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total goal difference; 3) Head-to-Head points; 4) Head-to-Head goal difference; 5) Head-to-Head goal scored; 6) Total goals scored; 7) Play-off (only for deciding champion, promotion and relegation).[2]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Al-Jeel finished ahead of Al-Ain on overall goal difference: Al-Jeel +8, Al-Ain +6 (Al-Ain 1–1 Al-Jeel, Al-Jeel 1–1 Al-Ain).
  2. ^ a b Al-Sharq finished ahead of Al-Thoqbah on head-to-head points: Al-Sharq 2–0 Al-Thoqbah, Al-Thoqbah 1–1 Al-Sharq.

Final

The winners of each group will play a two-legged final to decide the champion of the 2017–18 Second Division. The first leg is scheduled to be played on 9 March and the second leg on 17 March.[3]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Al-Washm 3–2 Al-Jabalain 2–1 1–1
First leg
Second leg

Third place play-off

Al-Jeel, who finished 2nd in Group B will face Al-Ansar who finished 2nd in Group A for a two-legged play-off to decide the third-placed team.[4] Al-Jeel defeated Al-Ansar 5–1 on aggregate to finish in third place.

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Al-Jeel 5–1 Al-Ansar 2–1 3–0
First leg
Second leg

Relegation play-offs

On March 7, 2018, the Saudi Football Federation announced that the number of teams in the Second Division was increased from 20 teams to 24 teams. The relegation was removed and in its place, they announced a relegation play-off. The bottom 2 teams in each group will face the top 4 teams outside the Quarter-finals in the Saudi Third Division.[5]

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Al-Thoqbah 1–1 (a) Al-Nakhil 0–0 1–1
Al-Badaya 2–4 Afif 2–2 0–2
Al-Diriyah 2–1 Al-Oyoon 2–1 0–0
Wej 5–1 Al-Tuhami 3–1 2–0
Al-Badaya2–2Afif
Al-Shamrani 68'
Al-Muhaimeed 88' (pen.)		 Saadi 37'
Eid 86'
Referee: Mishari Al-Balawi
Afif2–0Al-Badaya
Saadi 3'
Al-Otaibi 38' (pen.)
Al-Thoqbah0–0Al-Nakhil
Referee: Mohammed Al-Amri
Al-Nakhil1–1Al-Thoqbah
Al-Bishi 60' Al-Enezi 75'
Al-Diriyah2–1Al-Oyoon
Al-Shwier 45+2'
Awadh 90+3'		 Al-Ibrahim 90+4'
Referee: Abdullah Al-Kharboush
Al-Oyoon0–0Al-Diriyah
Wej3–1Al-Tuhami
Al-Harthi 42' (pen.)
Al-Dossari 47'
Al-Nofeai 82'		 Report Ghashim 26'
Referee: Mohammed Al-Buraidi
Al-Tuhami0–2Wej
Al-Dossari 26'
Al-Malki 47'

Statistics

Top scorers

As of 4 March 2018[6]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Saudi Arabia Hossam Al-Shadhli Hetten 19
2 Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Khethiri Al-Suqoor 11
3 Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Shammari Al-Hejaz 10
4 Saudi Arabia Sami Al-Enezi Al-Thoqbah 9
Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Mogren Al-Washm
6 Saudi Arabia Turki Sufyani Al-Washm 8
7 Saudi Arabia Hussain Al-Khalifah Al-Adalh 7
Saudi Arabia Sajer Al-Shammeri Al-Taqadom
Saudi Arabia Ammar Bilal Al-Ain
Saudi Arabia Sami Matri Hetten

Clean sheets

As of 4 March 2018[7]
Rank Player Club Clean sheets
1 Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Bokhaitan Al-Jabalain 10
2 Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al Qassem Al-Wehda 9
Saudi Arabia Fayez Al-Khaibari Al-Ansar
4 Saudi Arabia Hamzah Al-Khalaf Al-Washm 8
5 Saudi Arabia Saad Al-Saleh Al-Muzahimiyyah 7

See also

References

  1. ^ "صدور جدول دوري الدرجة الثانية" [Fixtures and dates of Second Division League 2017-2018] (in Arabic). SAFF. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "لائحة المسابقات والبطولات بالإتحاد العربي السعودي لكرة القدم" [Regulations of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Competitions] (PDF) (in Arabic). SAFF. 1 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  3. ^ تحديد بطل أندية الدرجة الثانية سيكون يوم السبت ٦/٢٩ ( ٣/١٧) Twitter (in Arabic)
  4. ^ أعلنت لجنة المسابقات مواعيد مباراتي تحديد المركز الثالث والمركز Twitter (in Arabic)
  5. ^ "تنفيذاً لقرار مجلس ادارة الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم بزيادة عدد الأندية في الموسم المقبل" (in Arabic). SAFF. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Twitter message". Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  7. ^ "Twitter message". Archived from the original on 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_Saudi_Second_Division
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