# 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1

The 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1 is the seventh season of the third-tier football league in Belgium and the first one in which U23 teams are admitted into the league, due to the last minute bankruptcy of Roeselare. It is the third season under its new name after being renamed from First Amateur Division. The league began in 18 August 2022 and is scheduled to end in 21 May 2023.

## Team changes
### Out

Two teams moved to another level:
* Dender EH was promoted as champions of the previous season.
* La Louvière Centre was relegated after finishing last. They were the only team relegated as the previous season was played with one team less due to the bankruptcy of Roeselare, and Mandel United remained in the league after winning the Belgian Division 2 Promotion play-offs.

### In

Three teams were promoted from the 2021–22 Belgian Division 2:
* Ninove, runner-up of the Belgian Division 2 VV A as champions Sparta Petegem did not apply for a licence.
* Hoogstraten, winners of the Belgian Division 2 VV B.
* RAAL La Louvière, winners of the Belgian Division 2 ACFF.
Four U23 teams were added to the league as it was expanded. The teams joining were determined based on their finishing position in the 2021–22 Belgian U23 league:
* Jong KAA Gent
* OH Leuven U-23
* Young Reds Antwerp
* Zébra Élites Charleroi

## Format changes

Four U23 teams were added to the league as part of a two-season trial, expanding the league from 16 to 20 teams. These twenty teams will play each other twice in a regular competition. At the end of season, the top three teams will be automatically promoted to the 2023–24 Challenger Pro League. Due to reduce the size back from 20 to 18 teams. The three bottom teams will be automatically relegated to 2023–24 Belgian Division 2. U23 teams can be promoted to Challenger Pro League. The 17th place will face relegation play-off.

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Patro Eisden (C, P) | 38 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 84 | 23 | +61 | 86 | Promoted to the Challenger Pro League |
| 2 | RFC Liège (P) | 38 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 99 | 29 | +70 | 86 | Promoted to the Challenger Pro League |
| 3 | Francs Borains (P) | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 79 | 46 | +33 | 77 | Promoted to the Challenger Pro League |
| 4 | RAAL La Louvière | 38 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 72 | 39 | +33 | 73 | |
| 5 | Jong KAA Gent | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 59 | 43 | +16 | 67 | |
| 6 | Heist | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 69 | 59 | +10 | 61 | |
| 7 | Olympic Charleroi CF | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 71 | 52 | +19 | 60 | |
| 8 | Knokke | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 65 | 58 | +7 | 60 | |
| 9 | Visé | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 56 | |
| 10 | Thes | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 53 | |
| 11 | OH Leuven U-23 | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 61 | 68 | −7 | 50 | |
| 12 | Tienen | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 50 | 60 | −10 | 46 | |
| 13 | Zébra Élites Charleroi | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 41 | 58 | −17 | 44 | |
| 14 | Dessel | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 43 | |
| 15 | Sint-Eloois-Winkel | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 44 | 58 | −14 | 42 | |
| 16 | Hoogstraten | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 46 | 60 | −14 | 41 | |
| 17 | Young Reds Antwerp (O) | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 58 | −25 | 39 | Qualification for the Division 2 Promotion play-offs Final |
| 18 | Ninove (R) | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 39 | 75 | −36 | 35 | Relegation to Division 2 |
| 19 | Rupel Boom (R) | 38 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 29 | 83 | −54 | 24 | Relegation to Division 2 |
| 20 | Mandel United (R) | 38 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 16 | 88 | −72 | 14 | Relegation to Division 2 |
* ↑ OH Leuven U23 was deducted 1 point for not fielding a sufficient number of home-grown players in their home match against Olympic Charleroi.
* ↑ On 1 March 2023, the club released a statement that it was not applying for a football license and purposely decided to be relegated to the 2023–24 Belgian Division 2. Irrespective of its finishing position, Ninove will now always take up one of the direct relegation spots.

### Results

| Home \ Away | PEM | RFC | LAL | OLC | HEI | GNT | TES | KNO | TIE | OHL | FRB | SEW | VIS | YRA | NIN | ZEB | RUP | DES | MAN | HOO |
| Patro Eisden Maasmechelen | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| RFC Liège | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 6–0 | 9–0 | 2–1 |
| RAAL La Louvière | 2–1 | 0–3 | — | 1–1 | 6–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 |
| Olympic Charleroi CF | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 |
| Heist | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | — | 3–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 6–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 |
| Jong KAA Gent | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Thes | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–3 |
| Knokke | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | — | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 5–4 |
| Tienen | 0–4 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | — | 4–1 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–6 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| OH Leuven U-23 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Francs Borains | 0–5 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 |
| Sint-Eloois-Winkel | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 2–1 | — | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Visé | 2–5 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | — | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Young Reds Antwerp | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Ninove | 0–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 |
| Zébra Élites Charleroi | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Rupel Boom | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 4–4 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Dessel | 0–4 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 4–1 | — | 3–0 | 1–2 |
| Mandel United | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–8 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–3 |
| Hoogstraten | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–6 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
* ↑ Match stopped with 88 minutes played as RAAL La Louvière supporters invaded the pitch. Francs Borains was leading 3-1 and was credited with a forfeit win 5-0.
* ↑ Match stopped with 7 seconds played after one of the floodlights stopped working due to a fire in the fusebox and the home team was not able to repair the issue within 30 minutes. Rupel Boom hence lost the match with a 0–5 forfeit score.

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of 21 May 2023.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Teddy Chevalier | Francs Borains | 31 |
| 1 | Jérémy Perbet | RFC Liège | 31 |
| 2 | Adriano Bertaccini | Thes | 26 |
| 3 | Din Sula | Knokke | 22 |
| 4 | Mohamed Soumaré | RAAL La Louvière | 17 |
| 5 | Olivier Romero Gómez | Ninove | 16 |
| 5 | Corenthyn Lavie | Francs Borains | 16 |
| 6 | Joshua Zimmerman | OH Leuven U23 | 15 |
| 7 | Adrien Bongiovanni | Zébra Élites Charleroi | 14 |
| 8 | Roman Ferber | Patro Eisden Maasmechelen | 13 |