# 2002–03 Macedonian First Football League

The 2002–03 Macedonian First League was the 11th season of the Macedonian First Football League, the highest football league of Macedonia. The first matches of the season were played on 10 August 2002 and the last on 1 June 2003. Vardar defended their championship title, having won their fifth title, second in a row.

## Promotion and relegation

| At the start of the 2002–03 season Promoted from 2001–02 Second League Tikvesh (winners) Bregalnica Delchevo (runners-up) Relegated to 2002–03 Second League Makedonija G.P. (11th) Osogovo (12th) | At the end of the 2002–03 season Promoted from 2002–03 Second League Bashkimi (winners) Madjari Solidarnost (runners-up) Relegated to 2003–04 Second League Pelister (11th) Kumanovo (12th) |

## Participating teams

| Club | City | Stadium |
| Belasica Geras Cunev | Strumica | Stadion Mladost |
| Bregalnica | Delchevo | Gradski stadion Goce Delchev |
| Cementarnica 55 | Skopje | Stadion Cementarnica |
| Kumanovo | Kumanovo | Gradski stadion Kumanovo |
| Napredok | Kichevo | Gradski stadion Kichevo |
| Pelister | Bitola | Stadion Tumbe Kafe |
| Pobeda | Prilep | Stadion Goce Delchev |
| Rabotnichki Kometal | Skopje | Gradski stadion Skopje |
| Sileks | Kratovo | Stadion Sileks |
| Sloga Jugomagnat | Skopje | Chair Stadium |
| Tikvesh | Kavadarci | Gradski stadion Kavadarci |
| Vardar | Skopje | Gradski stadion Skopje |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Vardar (C) | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 73 | 37 | +36 | 72 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Belasica | 33 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 50 | 32 | +18 | 69 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 3 | Pobeda | 33 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 55 | 33 | +22 | 65 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup first round |
| 4 | Rabotnichki Kometal | 33 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 54 | |
| 5 | Sloga Jugomagnat | 33 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 51 | |
| 6 | Sileks | 33 | 14 | 4 | 15 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 46 | |
| 7 | Napredok | 33 | 13 | 3 | 17 | 39 | 41 | −2 | 42 | |
| 8 | Cementarnica 55 | 33 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 39 | +6 | 42 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 9 | Tikvesh | 33 | 11 | 4 | 18 | 37 | 58 | −21 | 37 | |
| 10 | Bregalnica Delchevo | 33 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 36 | |
| 11 | Pelister (R) | 33 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 30 | 60 | −30 | 28 | Relegation to the Macedonian Second League |
| 12 | Kumanovo (R) | 33 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 24 | 71 | −47 | 17 | Relegation to the Macedonian Second League |
* 1 2 Head-to-head record: Napredok: 7 pts, Cementarnica 55: 1 pts.
* ↑ Cementarnica 55 qualified for the UEFA Cup qualifying round by winning the 2002–03 Macedonian Football Cup.

## Results

Every team will play three times against each other team for a total of 33 matches. The first 22 matchdays will consist of a regular double round-robin schedule. The league standings at this point will then be used to determine the games for the last 11 matchdays.
| Home \ Away | BEL | BRD | CEM | KUM | NAP | PEL | POB | RAB | SIL | SLO | TIK | VAR | BEL | BRD | CEM | KUM | NAP | PEL | POB | RAB | SIL | SLO | TIK | VAR |
| Belasica | — | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | — | — | — | 6–0 | — | — | 3–1 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Bregalnica Delchevo | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | — | 3–2 | — | 2–1 | — | — | — | 3–1 | 2–4 | — | 0–1 |
| Cementarnica 55 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | — | 6–0 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — |
| Kumanovo | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 0–3 | 2–4 | — | — | — | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | — | — | — | — |
| Napredok | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 4–2 | — | — | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | — | — | — |
| Pelister | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | — | 2–2 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | — | 0–3 | 3–6 | — | 0–2 |
| Pobeda | 4–0 | 4–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 6–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | 1–1 | — | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | — |
| Rabotnichki | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | 3–1 | 0–2 | — | — | 1–2 | 4–1 | — |
| Sileks | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | — | — | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | — | — | 0–2 | — | — | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| Sloga Jugomagnat | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 5–1 | 2–1 | — | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–3 | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | 3–0 | 2–3 |
| Tikvesh | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | — | 4–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vardar | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | — | — | — | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–2 | — | 4–3 | 1–1 | — | — | 6–2 | — |
* ↑ Match awarded

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ljubiša Savić | Bregalnica Delchevo & Sloga Jugomagnat | 25 |
| 2 | Zoran Baldovaliev | Belasica | 21 |
| 3 | Vasko Georgiev | Napredok & Bregalnica Delchevo | 15 |
| 3 | Rogério Oliveira | Vardar | 15 |
| 3 | Antonio Tasev | Tikvesh | 15 |
| 6 | Dragan Dimitrovski | Napredok & Pobeda | 13 |
| 7 | Mario Petkov | Vardar | 12 |
| 8 | Goran Stankovski | Sloga Jugomagnat | 11 |
| 9 | Bojan Dimitrievski | Sileks | 10 |
Source: rsssf.org