Kowsar Women Football League

Association football league in Iran

This article is about the top division in women's Iranian football. For top division in men's Iranian football, see Persian Gulf Pro League.

Football league

Kowsar Women Football League

Founded| 2007; 18 years ago (2007)
First season| 2007
Country| Iran
Confederation| AFC
Number of clubs| 10
Level on pyramid| 1
Relegation to| Kowsar Women Football League 1st Division
Domestic cup(s)| Hazfi Cup
International cup(s)| AFC Women's Champions League
Current champions| Bam Khatoon (10th title)
Most championships| Bam Khatoon (10 titles)
TV partners| IRIB channels
Website| www.iranleague.ir
Current: 2023–24 Kowsar League

The Kowsar Women Football League (Persian: لیگ کوثر بانوان فوتبال ایران, Lig-e Kâuser-e Banuan-e Futbal-e Iran) is a women's football league, run by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran. At the top of the Iranian football league system, it is the country's primary competition for the sport.[1] It was established in 2007.[2]

## History

[edit]

Malavan squad in 2022

The idea of founding the National Women's Football League in Iran dates back to the late Pahlavi era. During that period, important steps were taken to create a strong women's club football system in Iran. In those years, Tehrani clubs were the pioneers of women's club football in Iran.[3]

Kowsar Women Football League was founded in 2007[4] with international standards.

Until 2024, Bam Khatoon F.C. dominated the league for years and was also known as an Asian power. They were usually in serious competition with Malavan W.F.C and they usually won against them. Malavan has a special fan culture in the league and attracts many fans to their stadium. Shahrdari Sirjan's team has usually been a serious competitor for the championship too.[5][6]

In 2024, the Iranian Football Federation proposed a change in the number of teams in the league in order to facilitate the establishment of a women's team by the clubs of the Persian Gulf Pro League.[7] Proposals to change the league rules were discussed.

## Seasons

[edit]

Kowsar Women Football League Champions[8] Season  | Champions  | Runners-up

|
|

2007–08 | Bal Gostar  | Malavan
2009–10 | Malavan | Oghab Mazandaran
2010–11 | Shen Sa Arak  | Malavan
2011–12 | Bam Khatoon | Sorkh Poushan Gorgan
2012–13 | Bam Khatoon | Malavan
2013–14 | Bam Khatoon | Malavan
2014–15 | Bam Khatoon | Malavan
2015–16 | Shahrdari Sirjan | Malavan
2016–17 | Ayande Sazan Mihan  | Khatoon
2017–18 | Bam Khatoon | Shahrdari Sirjan
2018–19 | Bam Khatoon | Shahrdari Sirjan
2019–20 | Bam Khatoon | Vuchan Kurdistan
2020–21 | Shahrdari Sirjan | Khatoon
2021–22 | Bam Khatoon | Shahrdari Sirjan
2022–23 | Bam Khatoon | Sepahan
2023–24 | Bam Khatoon | Malavan

## Current clubs

[edit]

Team  | City

|

Bam Khatoon F.C | Bam
Malavan | Bandar Anzali
Sepahan | Isfahan
Palayesh Gas | Ilam
Gol Gohar Sirjan | Sirjan
Peykan | Tehran
Taran Alborz | Karaj
Ista Kordestan | Sanandaj
Isatin Karan Fars | Shiraz
Ava | Tehran

## Champions

[edit]

Club  | Winners  | Runners-up  | Winning seasons

|
|
|

Bam Khatoon |

| 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
Shahrdari Sirjan |

| 2015–16, 2020–21
Malavan |

| 2009–10
Shen Sa Arak  |

| 2010–11
Bal Gostar  |

| 2007–08
Ayande Sazan Mihan  |

| 2016–17
Sorkh Poushan Gorgan  |

| 2011–12
Oghab Mazandaran  |

| 2009–10
Vuchan Kurdistan  |

| 2019–20
Sepahan |

| 2022–23

## Broadcasting

[edit]

IRIB exclusively broadcasts the matches.

From 2024, the matches were streamed online on several different platforms, and the resulting income went indirectly to the clubs.[9]

## Sponsors

[edit]

Pars Oil has been one of the sponsors of Iran's men's and women's leagues.

At least until 2024, this league did not have any sponsors. The non-broadcasting situation of the matches on Iranian television and the problems related to women's sports in Iran after the 1979 revolution caused serious economic problems for the league.[10][11]

## See also

[edit]

* AFC Women's Club Championship
* Women's football in Iran
* Iran Football League Organization

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "جدول ليگ برتر بانوان - ليگ کوثر". Archived from the original on 2015-07-23. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
2. ^ Banerjee, Ritabrata (12 January 2022). "2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup: From Japan's WE League to Australia's A-League Women - How Asia is developing the women's game?". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
3. ^ پیشینه و آمار فوتبال ایران (in Persian). Tehran. 2017. p. 11.
4. ^ "بال گستر ساری صدرنشینی خود را در لیگ برتر فوتبال بانوان کشور مستحکم تر کرد". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
5. ^ "جدال جذاب بم و انزلی/ کدام تیم قهرمان لیگ فوتبال زنان می‌شود؟". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
6. ^ "یک جنگ تمام عیار: امروز فقط فوتبال زنان!". ورزش سه (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-20.
7. ^ "دربی استقلال و پرسپولیس در فوتبال زنان!". خبرآنلاین (in Persian). 2024-06-08. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
8. ^ "Iran - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
9. ^ ایران, عصر. "برای نخستین بار در ایران؛ حق پخش به فوتبال زنان رسید". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-11.
10. ^ "تصاویری از میزبانی عجیب در لیگ برتر فوتبال زنان | پایگاه خبری تحلیلی انصاف نیوز". انصاف نیوز (in Persian). 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
11. ^ "اسپانسری در ورزش بانوان هیچ سودی ندارد". ایمنا (in Persian). 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2024-06-20.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iran Women's Football League.

* Iran Football League Organization official website

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Football in Iran

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Top-level women's football leagues of Asia (AFC)

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Africa|

| North Africa|

* Algeria
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|

West Africa|

| Zone A|

* Cape Verde
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|

Zone B|

* Benin
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Central Africa|

* Cameroon
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East Africa|

* Burundi
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* Angola
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* Bahrain
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|

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