Basra derby

{{Short description|Football rivalry in Iraq}}

{{Infobox football derby

| name = Basra derby

| other names =

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| city or region = Basra

| teams involved = {{plainlist|

• Al-Minaa
• Naft Al-Basra}}

| first contested = {{nobreak|Naft Al-Junoob 1–0 Al-Minaa}}
Iraqi Premier League
(24 January 2005)

| mostrecent = {{nobreak|Naft Al-Basra 0–1 Al-Minaa}}
Iraq Stars League
(22 April 2025)

| most wins = Al-Minaa (14)

| most player appearances =

| top scorer = Ehsan Hadi
Bassim Ali
Nasser Talla Dahilan
Alaa Aasi
Hossam Malik
(4 goals each)

| nextmeeting = {{nobreak|Naft Al-Basra v Al-Minaa}}
Iraq Stars League
(TBD)

| total = 36

| league = 35

| series = Al-Minaa: 14
Drawn: 13
Naft Al-Basra: 9

| largestvictory = {{nobreak|Al-Minaa 4–1 Naft Al-Junoob}}
Iraqi Premier League
(11 March 2005)

}}

The Basra derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Al-Minaa and Naft Al-Basra (formerly Naft Al-Junoob until 2020),{{cite web|url=http://alrafidain.news/News/8038472/%D8%AA%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8|title=Naft Al-Janoob Club officially changed the name to Naft Al-Basra|website=alrafidain.news|language=Arabic|date=October 23, 2020}} both of which are based in Basra, Southern Iraq. The two clubs have been rivals since the 2004–05 season when Naft Al-Basra club started playing in the Premier League. The clubs are respectively from Al-Maqal and Al-Tamimia, in the same city Basra, and for this reason a match between the two teams is sometimes called a "Basra derby".{{cite web|url=http://www.almadapaper.net/ar/news/532440/%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%A8-%D9%84%D9%81%D9%83-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%A9|title=The Inflamed Basra Derby |website=almadapaper.net|language=Arabic|date=July 6, 2017}} Another name is often used in the press is "South derby",{{cite web|url=http://www.imn.iq/archives/99918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804142029/https://imn.iq/archives/99918|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 4, 2024|title=South Derby ended for Naft Al-Junoob|website=imn.iq|language=Arabic|date=December 18, 2016}} which comes from the location of Basra province in southern Iraq. The animosity intensified since the first match, as Naft Al-Basra was not expected to win Al-Minaa 1–0, and the exaggerated protest by Al-Minaa supporters to referee of match Khalil Yousuf prompted him to retire arbitration forever. and this animosity reached a peak during the 2010–11 season, when both teams played at the end of the season in the Premier League in a match, that if it end at a draw, Naft Al-Basra will relegate to the Iraqi First Division League. Indeed, the match ended in a draw, and Al-Minaa fans celebrated the relegation of Naft Al-Basra, and considered it a winning of league title. In the 2014–15 season, Naft Al-Basra returned to avenge Al-Minaa, when both teams played at the end of the season in the Premier League. Al-Minaa needed two goals to go to the final, but Naft Al-Basra played a defensive squad until the end of the match, although they were losing 1–0.{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqifs.com/?p=4679|title=The Basra Derby|website=iraqifs.com|language=Arabic|date=June 30, 2011|access-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803053018/http://www.iraqifs.com/?p=4679|archive-date=August 3, 2017|url-status=dead}}

The results of some of these match led to the dismissal of some coaches. In the 2007–08 season, the Naft Al-Basra management dismissed the coach Abdul Razzaq Ahmed after the match ended against Al-Minaa 3–3, and in the 2012–13 season, the Al-Minaa administration dismissed the coach Aqeel Hato after the match ended for Naft Al-Basra 4–3.{{cite web|url=http://iraqi-sn.com/archives/48546|title=The Basra Derby|website=iraqi-sn.com|language=Arabic|date=December 26, 2016|access-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614045225/http://iraqi-sn.com/archives/48546|archive-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=dead}}

Since 2005, there have been 36 competitive Basra Derbies. Al-Minaa hold the precedence in these matches, with 14 victories to Naft Al-Basra's 9; there have been 13 draws. The most decisive result in an Al-Minaa–Naft Al-Basra game is Al-Minaa's 4–1 victory at Al Mina'a Stadium, their home ground, on March 11, 2005. There have been two incidences of 3–1, Al-Minaa have been won in both matches; home in December 2005, and away in January 2006.