The 2022–23 Saudi Second Division League was the second season of the Saudi Second Division League after its rebrand, and the 47th season since its establishment in 1976. The season began on 30 September 2022 and concluded on 30 April 2023 with the final. The group stage draw was held on 9 June 2022. Fixtures for the 2022–23 season were announced on 25 August 2022.
The final was played on 30 April 2023 between Al-Najma and Al-Taraji. Al-Najma defeated Al-Taraji 2–1 to win their third title and first since 2010.
Overview Changes On 9 October 2020, the Saudi FF announced that the number of teams in the league would be increased to 32, with each group consisting of 16 teams, starting from the 2022–23 season. To prepare for these changes it was announced that only 3 teams would be promoted to the MS League and 5 teams would be relegated from the MS League in the 2021–22 season.
On 14 April 2022, the Saudi FF announced that the number of teams in the Pro League would be increased from 16 to 18 teams. To prepare for this change, only 2 teams would be relegated to the First Division League and 4 teams would be promoted to the Pro League. This meant that 5 teams would be promoted from the Second Division to the First Division instead of the usual 3.
Team changes A total of 32 teams contested the 2022–23 league, including 21 sides from the 2020–21 season, 5 relegated teams from the FD League, and 6 promoted teams from the Third Division.
The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season
To Second Division
Promoted from the Third Division
Al-Suqoor Al-Qous Jerash Sajer Qilwah Al-Shaeib
Relegated from FD League Al-Jeel Al-Diriyah Al-Nahda Al-Kawkab Bisha
From Second Division Promoted to FD League Al-Arabi Al-Qaisumah Al-Riyadh
Relegated to the Third Division Al-Dahab Afif Al-Nojoom Al-Thoqbah
Teams Group A
Club Location Stadium Al-Bukiryah Al Bukayriyah Al-Bukiryah Club Stadium Al-Diriyah Diriyah Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz Stadium (Riyadh) Al-Entesar Rabigh Al-Entesar Club Stadium Al-Jandal Dumat al-Jandal Al-Orobah Club Stadium (Sakakah) Al-Lewaa Baqaa Al-Jabalain Club Stadium (Ha'il) Al-Nahda Dammam Prince Fahd bin Salman Stadium Al-Qous Al Khurmah Al-Qous Club Stadium Al-Sadd Najaan Al-Shoulla Club Stadium (Al-Kharj) Al-Saqer Buraidah Al-Taawoun Club Stadium Al-Taqadom Al Mithnab Al-Najma Club Stadium (Unaizah) Al-Taraji Qatif Al-Khaleej Club Stadium Arar Arar Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musa'ed Sport City Stadium Hetten Samtah King Faisal Sport City Stadium (Jizan) Jerash Ahad Rafidah Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Reserve Stadium (Abha) Qilwah Qilwah Qilwah Club Stadium Tuwaiq Al Zulfi Al-Zulfi Club Stadium
Group B
Club Location Stadium Al-Ansar Medina Al-Ansar Club Stadium Al-Jeel Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Kawkab Al-Kharj Al-Shoulla Club Stadium Al-Nairyah Al Nairyah Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium Al-Najma Unaizah Al-Najma Club Stadium Al-Rawdhah Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Rayyan Haʼil Al-Jabalain Club Stadium Al-Safa Safwa City Al-Safa Club Stadium Al-Shaeib Huraymila Irqah Sports Stadium (Riyadh) Al-Sharq Ad-Dilam Al-Shoulla Club Stadium (Al-Kharj) Al-Suqoor Tabuk King Khalid Sport City Stadium Al-Washm Shaqra Al-Washm Club Stadium Al-Zulfi Al Zulfi Al-Zulfi Club Stadium Bisha Bisha Bisha University Stadium Sajer Sajir Al-Washm Club Stadium (Shaqra) Wej Ta'if King Fahd Stadium
Foreign players The number of foreign players was increased from 3 players per team to 4 players per team.
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Former Players Al-Ansar Soumahoro Bangaly Chevaughn Walsh Chaker Rguiî Sid Ahmed Aouadj Amar Djabou Al-Bukiryah Nemanja Kojčić Izaldin Al Awad Alaeddine Marzouki Youssef Trabelsi Bubacarr Sumareh Al-Diriyah Ferraz Kamel Aboubacar Diarra Oussema Ben Ayed Mehdi Bensib Bladimir Díaz Nassim Chachia Yassine Salhi Al-Entesar Ahmed Gagaâ Maher Sharoma Lawson Bekui Karim El Oualadi Konan Ahuie Houssem Bnina Amine Khalloufi Anis Khedher Al-Jandal Njiva Rakotoharimalala Aniekpeno Udo Rafik Mednini Sabri Zaidi Al-Jeel Edilson Bruno Matos Gelson Mello Modibo Maïga Alphonse Kouamé Mohamed Al Hasanat Hamza Goudali Al-Kawkab Jerome Mpacko-Etame Olivier Kwizera Pape Mamadou Sow Ghazi Ayadi Abdoul Razak Coulibaly Cyril Olisema Al-Lewaa Maycon Santana Muath Afaneh Imran Ilyas Bakur Saith Sakala Victory Omodiagbe Al-Nahda Ricardo Verza Khalid Salah Idrissa Traoré Yassine Dahbi Sid Ali Lakroum Guillaume Daho Kenneth Ikechukwu Al-Nairyah Zoubir Motrani Fabrice Onana Mohammad Al-Kloub Achraf Ben Dhiaf Ahmad Boussaid Omar Lamti Al-Najma Hichem Mokhtar Rafa Miranda Abdoulaye Dieng Seifeddine Akremi Al-Qous Ahmad Hamdy Johann Lengoualama Jamaa Marzougi Houssem Eddine Lahbibi Ibrahim Eisa Pape Camara Al-Rawdhah Soufyan Ahannach Israel Abia Amine Mhadhebi Selim Rebai Didier Pepe Houssem Tabboubi Al-Rayyan Mohamed Abu Arqoub Abdallah Berrabeh Semah Bouhajeb Alaeddine Sekrani Junior Lokosa Al-Sadd Abdessamed Bounoua Abdelhak Sailaa Aneel Bkaki Mohamed Salem Akrem Demane Kaddour Beldjilali Al-Safa Adnane El Ouardy Jilani Abdessalam Mohamed Aouichi Malek Miladi Al-Saqer Franco Romero Alaa Anas Lassina Diaby Pape Babacar Mame Balla Diop Abdou Samb Al-Shaeib Araújo Jeferson Stanley Ohawuchi Ali Yahya Jordan Nkololo Al-Sharq Oussama Aggar Billel Bensaha Sofiane Khelili Harouna Samake Mohamed Salem Wajdi Mejri Edem Rjaïbi Al-Suqoor Mohamed Benyahia Adil Djabout Hamed Touré Mohamed M'Bareck Mehdi Benaldjia Grace Tanda Al-Taqadom Mahmoud El Ghazaly Benjamin Afutu Bernard Arthur Kwabena Nyanteh Al-Taraji Abdou Aziz Ndiaye Mohammed Ben Abdessalem Mahmoud Ben Salah Houssine Messadi Al-Washm Amir Karaoui Mohammed Alhaj Yousef Omar Alaeddine Bouslimi Stanley Ohawuchi Al-Zulfi Sid Ahmed Aouadj Skander Ben Afia Ahmad Boussaid Fehmi Kacem Emmanuel Banahene Amir Omrani Arar Guillaume Daho Salaheddine Bahi Khaled Gharsellaoui Oussama Omrani Adel Hmani Chiheb Jbeli Othman Saidi Bisha Samuel Nlend Oscar Tahi Pape Camara Sabri Ameri Tarik Kada Rabii Bouzid Hetten Carlos Coppetti Patrick Ngoula Kerfala Kouyaté Mahmoud Al-Youssef Raël Lolala Jerash Anderson Paraíba Vanílson Cheikh Saadné Sami Hammami Haythem Mhamdi Qilwah Blaise Ngoh Charles Ikechukwu Daniel Nosike Maher Labidi Harrison Cardoso Robert Odu Khaled Haj Othman Anis Khedher Sajer Cléber Prado Ahmed Amri Lassaad Jaziri Nizar Touil Riad Gharrich Wesley Simeão Valdo Bacabal Tuwaiq Anouar El Azizi Chidiebere Nwakali Wajdi Mejri Omar Smari Mohamed Said Karchoud Wej Islam Bouloudene Akrem Demane Chamseddine Harrag Hazem Mbarek Thales Lima Josue Mohy Patrick Gbala
Group A League table
Results
Group B League table
Results
Promotion play-offs Both teams that finish third in Groups A and B will face each other in a two-legged match with the winner gaining promotion to the FD League. Al-Jandal, who finished third in Group A, faced Bisha, who finished third in Group B. The first leg was played on 24 April and the second leg on 29 April. Al-Jandal defeated Bisha 4–2 on aggregate to secure promotion to the FD League.
First leg
Second leg
Final The winners of each group will play a single-legged final on 30 April to decide the champion of the 2022–23 Second Division. As winners of Group A, Al-Taraji will face Al-Najma, the winners of Group B. The match was held at Al-Najma's home stadium due to them finishing with more points. Al-Najma defeated Al-Taraji 2–1 to win their third title and first since 2010.
Statistics
Scoring Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Aniekpeno UdoAl-Jandal232 Adnane El OuardyAl-Safa193 Abdou Aziz NdiayeAl-Taraji174 VanílsonJerash15 Israel AbiaAl-Rawdhah6 Jassem Al-HamdanAl-Nairyah12 Mohamed AbbasAl-Ansar Mohammed Ben AbdessalemAl-Taraji Njiva RakotoharimalalaAl-Jandal10 Aneel BkakiAl-Sadd11 Maher SharomaAl-Entesar Sabri ZaidiAl-Jandal Oscar TahiBisha
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Mohammed Ben Abdessalem Al-Taraji Qilwah 5–1 (H) Aniekpeno Udo Al-Jandal Al-Qous 3–3 (A) Bubacarr Sumareh4 Al-Bukiryah Hetten 4–1 (H) Faisal Al-Mutairi Al-Najma Al-Jeel 3–2 (H) Vanílson Jerash Al-Taqadom 3–1 (H) Jassem Al-Hamdan Al-Nairyah Al-Shaeib 5–1 (H) Aniekpeno Udo Al-Jandal Qilwah 4–2 (A) Akrem Demane Wej Al-Suqoor 3–2 (H) Abdullah Al-Saihani Tuwaiq Al-Sadd 3–3 (H) Abdou Aziz Ndiaye Al-Taraji Al-Jandal 4–3 (H) Mesned Al-Enezi Al-Zulfi Sajer 3–1 (A)
Note (H) – Home; (A) – Away4 Player scored 4 goals
Number of teams by province RankProvinceNumberTeams1Riyadh9Al-Diriyah, Al-Kawkab, Al-Sadd, Al-Shaeib, Al-Sharq, Al-Washm, Al-Zulfi, Sajer and Tuwaiq2Eastern Province6Al-Jeel, Al-Nahda, Al-Nairyah, Al-Rawdhah, Al-Safa and Al-Taraji3Al-Qassim4Al-Bukiryah, Al-Najma, Al-Saqer and Al-Taqadom4Mecca3Al-Entesar, Al-Qous and Wej5Asir2Bisha and JerashHa'ilAl-Lewaa and Al-Rayyan7Al-Bahah1QilwahAl JawfAl-JandalJazanHettenMedinaAl-AnsarNorthern BordersArarTabukAl-Suqoor
See also 2022–23 Saudi Professional League 2022–23 Saudi First Division League 2022–23 Saudi Third Division
References