It was originally meant to be held at Al-Shaab Stadium on 22 August 2016, almost a month before the start of the league season kicked off. However, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's matches in the 2016 AFC Cup and Iraq's matches in FIFA World Cup qualifying clashed with this date so the game was postponed to 10 September. Finally, on 9 December 2016, Iraq Football Association member Yahya Karim announced that the match was cancelled altogether.[1]
Al-Zawraa qualified as champions of the 2015–16 Iraqi Premier League. They secured their record 13th title with a 1–1 draw against Al-NaftatAl-Shaab Stadium on 22 May 2016. It would have been their 6th Iraqi Super Cup appearance, having won a record of three titles.
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya qualified as winners of the 2015–16 Iraq FA Cup. They defeated Al-Zawraa, the league champions, in their last match together 2–0 on 29 May 2016 to win their fourth title. Bashar Rasan scored the first goal in the 58th and the second was scored by Humam Tariq in stoppage time. It would have been their 5th Iraqi Super Cup appearance, having won two titles. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's coach, Basim Qasim would have faced the club he led to achieve last season's league.
