Summary
Primera División de Nicaragua (NCA1) is the top level of league style football competition in Nicaragua. The 2022-2023 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. At the end of the 2022-2023 Torneo Clausura, the NCA1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2023 CONCACAF League Round of 16 (or Preliminary Round):
- 2022-2023 Torneo Apertura/Clausura champions
If the same team wins both the Torneo Apertura and Torneo Clausura, then the 2nd place team from each torneo with the most 2022-2023 NCA1 Aggregate Table points receives the 2nd CONCACAF League berth.
Aggregate points are determined by combining results from the 2022-2023 Torneo Apertura and 2022-2023 Torneo Clausura into the 2022-2023 NCA1 Aggregate Table.
Leagues Pyramid - Nicaragua
Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
---|---|---|
NCA1 | Liga Primera | 10 |
NCA2 | Segunda División de Nicaragua | 20 |
NCA3 | Tercera División de Nicaragua | - |
NCA3 | Tercera División de Nicaragua | - |
NCA4 | Cuarta División de Nicaragua | - |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
Apertura - Regular 9 Jul 2022 - 1 Dec 2022 Apertura - Playoffs 4 Dec 2022 - 17 Dec 2022 | Clausura - Regular 21 Jan 2023 - 1 May 2023 Clausura - Playoffs 4 May 2023 - 29 May 2023 | 10: NCA1 (8 minimum), NCA2 (2 maximum) |
Season Format
The 2022-2023 NCA1 season is split into two championships, the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura. In each torneo, each NCA1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 9 NCA1 teams for a total of 18 league matches. A playoff is held upon the completion of each torneo to determine the torneo champion. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, (5) head-to-head goals scored, then (6) a draw.
Playoffs
At the end of each torneo, the top 6 eligible NCA1 teams participate in playoffs. In the Quarterfinals, 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th in a "Knockout" matches. The winners advance to a Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins Semifinals. The Semifinals winners advance to a Home-Away highest aggregate goal wins Final.
Relegation
Immediately following the 2022-2023 Torneo Clausura, the 10th place team in the 2022-2023 NCA1 Aggregate Table is immediately relegated to NCA2, while the 9th place team enters into a Promotion/Relegation playoff with the 2nd place NCA2 team. The playoff winner plays in the 2022-2023 NCA1 and the loser plays in the NCA2.
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Relegation Playoff
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
Aggregate | Chinandega FC (NCA2) | 314 | UNAN Managua (NCA1) |
04.06.23 | Chinandega FC | 15 | UNAN Managua | Estadio La Veranera |
07.06.23 | UNAN Managua | 92 | Chinandega FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol | ||
UNAN Managua remains in NCA1 |
Clausura - Finals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
Aggregate | Real Estelí FC | 30 | Diriangén FC |
14.05.23 | Real Estelí FC | 00 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
21.05.23 | Diriangén FC | 03 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Clausura - Semifinals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
Aggregate | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 05 | Diriangén FC |
30.04.23 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 02 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
06.05.23 | Diriangén FC | 30 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Aggregate | Managua FC | 33 | Real Estelí FC |
30.04.23 | Managua FC | 01 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
07.05.23 | Real Estelí FC | 23 | Managua FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) | ||
Real Estelí FC advances on PKs (4-3) |
Clausura - Quarterfinals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
UNAN Managua | 31 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
CD Walter Ferretti | 11 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol | |||
Indígenas de Matagalpa FC advances on PKs (9-8) |
Torneo Clausura
League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
1 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 12 -3-3 | 39 | - | 36 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 7 -1-1 | 22 | 18 | 7 | 11 |
2 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 10 -5-3 | 35 | - | 37 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 -4-1 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 9 |
3 | Managua FC | 18 | 8 -5-5 | 29 | - | 26 | 23 | 3 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 15 | 16 | -1 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
4 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 7 -5-6 | 26 | - | 26 | 24 | 2 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
5 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 18 | 7 -4-7 | 25 | - | 19 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 11 | 13 | -2 |
6 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 7 -3-8 | 24 | - | 24 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 4 -1-4 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
7 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 5 -5-8 | 20 | - | 24 | 25 | -1 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 12 | 13 | -1 |
8 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 5 -4-9 | 19 | - | 21 | 30 | -9 | 9 | 2 -3-4 | 9 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 9 | 3 -1-5 | 10 | 13 | 19 | -6 |
9 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 5 -4-9 | 19 | - | 21 | 32 | -11 | 9 | 3 -0-6 | 9 | 13 | 17 | -4 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 10 | 8 | 15 | -7 |
10 | Juventus FC | 18 | 3 -4-11 | 13 | - | 19 | 38 | -19 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 9 | 25 | -16 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 10 | 13 | -3 |
Clausura - Semifinals Clausura - Quarterfinals |
Apertura - Finals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
Aggregate | CD Walter Ferretti | 45 | Real Estelí FC |
14.12.22 | CD Walter Ferretti | 23 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
17.12.22 | Real Estelí FC | 22 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) | ||
CD Walter Ferretti wins on PKs (2-1) |
Apertura - Semifinals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
Aggregate | Managua FC | 02 | Real Estelí FC |
06.12.22 | Managua FC | 00 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
11.12.22 | Real Estelí FC | 20 | Managua FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
Aggregate | CD Walter Ferretti | 22 | Diriangén FC |
08.12.22 | CD Walter Ferretti | 11 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
11.12.22 | Diriangén FC | 11 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Cacique Diriangén | ||
CD Walter Ferretti advances on PKs (5-3) |
Apertura - Quarterfinals
Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue |
H&H Export Sébaco FC | 05 | Managua FC | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
CD Walter Ferretti | 51 | Juventus FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Torneo Apertura
League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
1 | Real Estelí FC | 18 | 11 -5-2 | 38 | - | 35 | 11 | 24 | 9 | 8 -1-0 | 25 | 26 | 5 | 21 | 9 | 3 -4-2 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
2 | Diriangén FC | 18 | 11 -5-2 | 38 | - | 34 | 14 | 20 | 9 | 5 -4-0 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 6 -1-2 | 19 | 18 | 11 | 7 |
3 | CD Walter Ferretti | 18 | 10 -2-6 | 32 | - | 23 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 7 -0-2 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 8 | 9 | -1 |
4 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | 18 | 8 -6-4 | 30 | - | 21 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 5 -3-1 | 18 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 3 -3-3 | 12 | 8 | 9 | -1 |
5 | Managua FC | 18 | 7 -3-8 | 24 | - | 28 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 5 -1-3 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 2 -2-5 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
6 | Juventus FC | 18 | 6 -4-8 | 22 | - | 32 | 28 | 4 | 9 | 5 -2-2 | 17 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 10 | 17 | -7 |
7 | ART Municipal Jalapa | 18 | 5 -6-7 | 21 | - | 19 | 28 | -9 | 9 | 4 -2-3 | 14 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 9 | 1 -4-4 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -7 |
8 | UNAN Managua | 18 | 4 -4-10 | 16 | - | 25 | 38 | -13 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 9 | 1 -2-6 | 5 | 13 | 23 | -10 |
9 | CD Ocotal | 18 | 4 -4-10 | 16 | - | 21 | 43 | -22 | 9 | 2 -4-3 | 10 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 9 | 2 -0-7 | 6 | 8 | 29 | -21 |
10 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 18 | 3 -3-12 | 12 | - | 17 | 38 | -21 | 9 | 3 -2-4 | 11 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 9 | 0 -1-8 | 1 | 6 | 22 | -16 |
Apertura - Semifinals Apertura - Quarterfinals |
Results
CD Walter Ferretti | 20 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Nacional de Fútbol |
ART Municipal Jalapa | 31 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
CD Ocotal | 21 | Juventus FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 01 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
Managua FC | 03 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Real Estelí FC | 41 | UNAN Managua | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
Diriangén FC | 51 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
CD Walter Ferretti | 22 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Juventus FC | 23 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Complejo Deportivo De Fútbol Arnoldo y Matty Chávez |
Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 00 | Managua FC | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
Real Estelí FC | 12 | Diriangén FC | Estadio Independencia (Estelí) |
ART Municipal Jalapa | 12 | CD Ocotal | Estadio Alejandro Ramos |
H&H Export Sébaco FC | 01 | Managua FC | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |
UNAN Managua | 31 | Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Juventus FC | 03 | CD Walter Ferretti | Complejo Deportivo De Fútbol Arnoldo y Matty Chávez |
CD Ocotal | 00 | H&H Export Sébaco FC | Estadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez |
Managua FC | 03 | Real Estelí FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Diriangén FC | 22 | ART Municipal Jalapa | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
UNAN Managua | 11 | Juventus FC | Estadio Cacique Diriangén |
Indígenas de Matagalpa FC | 10 | CD Walter Ferretti | Estadio Municipal de Matagalpa |