Liga Primera
FIFA Region
CONCACAF
Season
2022-2023
Location
Nicaragua
Abbreviation
NCA1

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:

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.


More Info...


Relegation Playoff

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateChinandega FC (NCA2) 314 UNAN Managua (NCA1) 
04.06.23Chinandega FC 15 UNAN ManaguaEstadio La Veranera
07.06.23UNAN Managua 92 Chinandega FCEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
 UNAN Managua remains in NCA1 

Clausura - Finals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateReal Estelí FC  30 Diriangén FC  
14.05.23Real Estelí FC 00 Diriangén FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
21.05.23Diriangén FC 03 Real Estelí FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén

Clausura - Semifinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateIndígenas de Matagalpa FC  05 Diriangén FC  
30.04.23Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 02 Diriangén FCEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa
06.05.23Diriangén FC 30 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
AggregateManagua FC  33 Real Estelí FC  
30.04.23Managua FC 01 Real Estelí FCEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
07.05.23Real Estelí FC 23 Managua FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 Real Estelí FC advances on PKs (4-3) 

Clausura - Quarterfinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Wed - 26 Apr 2023
 UNAN Managua 31 CD OcotalEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
Thu - 27 Apr 2023
 CD Walter Ferretti 11 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC advances on PKs (9-8) 

Torneo Clausura

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Diriangén FC 1812 -3-339-36191795 -2-2171812697 -1-12218711
2Real Estelí FC 1810 -5-335-37191896 -1-219189994 -4-11619109
3Managua FC 188 -5-529-2623393 -3-3121516-195 -2-2171174
4CD Walter Ferretti 187 -5-626-2624294 -2-3141513293 -3-31211110
5Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 187 -4-725-1919094 -2-31486293 -2-4111113-2
6CD Ocotal 187 -3-824-2424093 -2-41188094 -1-41316160
7UNAN Managua 185 -5-820-2425-192 -4-3101212093 -1-5101213-1
8ART Municipal Jalapa 185 -4-919-2130-992 -3-49811-393 -1-5101319-6
9H&H Export Sébaco FC 185 -4-919-2132-1193 -0-691317-492 -4-310815-7
10Juventus FC 183 -4-1113-1938-1992 -2-58925-1691 -2-651013-3
Clausura - Semifinals
Clausura - Quarterfinals

Apertura - Finals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateCD Walter Ferretti  45 Real Estelí FC  
14.12.22CD Walter Ferretti 23 Real Estelí FCEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
17.12.22Real Estelí FC 22 CD Walter FerrettiEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 CD Walter Ferretti wins on PKs (2-1) 

Apertura - Semifinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
AggregateManagua FC  02 Real Estelí FC  
06.12.22Managua FC 00 Real Estelí FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
11.12.22Real Estelí FC 20 Managua FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
AggregateCD Walter Ferretti  22 Diriangén FC  
08.12.22CD Walter Ferretti 11 Diriangén FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
11.12.22Diriangén FC 11 CD Walter FerrettiEstadio Cacique Diriangén
 CD Walter Ferretti advances on PKs (5-3) 

Apertura - Quarterfinals

DateHome Status RoadVenue
Sat - 3 Dec 2022
 H&H Export Sébaco FC 05 Managua FCEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa
Sun - 4 Dec 2022
 CD Walter Ferretti 51 Juventus FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén

Torneo Apertura

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Real Estelí FC 1811 -5-238-35112498 -1-0252652193 -4-213963
2Diriangén FC 1811 -5-238-34142095 -4-0191631396 -1-21918117
3CD Walter Ferretti 1810 -2-632-2319497 -0-2211510593 -2-41189-1
4H&H Export Sébaco FC 188 -6-430-2115695 -3-118136793 -3-31289-1
5Managua FC 187 -3-824-2821795 -1-316169792 -2-5812120
6Juventus FC 186 -4-822-3228495 -2-21722111191 -2-651017-7
7ART Municipal Jalapa 185 -6-721-1928-994 -2-3141012-291 -4-47916-7
8UNAN Managua 184 -4-1016-2538-1393 -2-4111215-391 -2-651323-10
9CD Ocotal 184 -4-1016-2143-2292 -4-3101314-192 -0-76829-21
10Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 183 -3-1212-1738-2193 -2-4111116-590 -1-81622-16
Apertura - Semifinals
Apertura - Quarterfinals

Results

Mon - 24 Apr 2023
 CD Walter Ferretti 20 Diriangén FCEstadio Nacional de Fútbol
Sun - 23 Apr 2023
 ART Municipal Jalapa 31 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Alejandro Ramos
 CD Ocotal 21 Juventus FCEstadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 01 Real Estelí FCEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa
 Managua FC 03 UNAN ManaguaEstadio Cacique Diriangén
Thu - 20 Apr 2023
 Real Estelí FC 41 UNAN ManaguaEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
 Diriangén FC 51 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
Wed - 19 Apr 2023
 CD Walter Ferretti 22 CD OcotalEstadio Cacique Diriangén
 Juventus FC 23 ART Municipal JalapaComplejo Deportivo De Fútbol Arnoldo y Matty Chávez
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 00 Managua FCEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa
Mon - 17 Apr 2023
 Real Estelí FC 12 Diriangén FCEstadio Independencia (Estelí)
Sun - 16 Apr 2023
 ART Municipal Jalapa 12 CD OcotalEstadio Alejandro Ramos
 H&H Export Sébaco FC 01 Managua FCEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa
Sat - 15 Apr 2023
 UNAN Managua 31 Indígenas de Matagalpa FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
 Juventus FC 03 CD Walter FerrettiComplejo Deportivo De Fútbol Arnoldo y Matty Chávez
Thu - 13 Apr 2023
 CD Ocotal 00 H&H Export Sébaco FCEstadio Roy Fernando Bermúdez
 Managua FC 03 Real Estelí FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
Wed - 12 Apr 2023
 Diriangén FC 22 ART Municipal JalapaEstadio Cacique Diriangén
 UNAN Managua 11 Juventus FCEstadio Cacique Diriangén
 Indígenas de Matagalpa FC 10 CD Walter FerrettiEstadio Municipal de Matagalpa