Linafoot

For the football league in Chad known as LINAFOOT, see Chad Premier League.
Linafoot
Founded1958 (as Coupe du Congo)
1990 (as Linafoot)
Country DR Congo
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Number of clubs25
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toLinafoot Ligue 2
Domestic cupCoupe du Congo
International cup(s)CAF Champions League
CAF Confederation Cup
Current championsAigles du Congo
(1st title)
(2024–25)
Most championshipsTP Mazembe
(20 titles)
Top scorerTresor Mputu
(165 goals)
Websitelinafoot.com
Current: 2025–26 Linafoot

The Illicocash Ligue 1 is the top division of the Congolese Association Football Federation (FECOFA), the governing body of football in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1958.

In 2010 the competition was renamed the Vodacom Super League following the signing of a five-year sponsorship deal with communications company Vodacom.[1] The 2012 championship was the first in the country's history played in a long-season championship of 14 teams who were removed from their regional leagues for the first time. Prior to that, all regional champions were qualified to the national stage for the winer to be determined.

In 2013, the highest Linafoot attendance was set in a match between AS Vita Club and DC Motema Pembe, which saw an attendance of 80,000 at the Stade des Martyrs. In 2025, the derby took place at the Stade Tata Raphaël in front of a crowd of 40,000.[2]

As of 2025, TP Mazembe is the most successful Linafoot club with 20 titles, followed by AS Vita Club with 15 titles and DC Motema Pembe with 12 titles.

Name history

DR Congo's top division has been played either as knockout competition via the Coupe du Congo (DR Congo) or as in groups and a league. It was first named as LINAFOOT (Ligue Nationale de Football) in 1990.

Qualification for African competitions

Association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF club season

The association ranking for the 2025–26 CAF Champions League and the 2025–26 CAF Confederation Cup will be based on results from each CAF club competition from 2020–21 to the 2024–25 season.

Legend
  • CL: CAF Champions League
  • CC: CAF Confederation Cup
  • ≥: Associations points might increase on basis of its clubs performance in 2024–25 CAF club competitions
  •   Associations ranked 1–12 are eligible to enter two teams in each CAF club competition.


Rank Association 2020–21
(× 1)		 2021–22
(× 2)		 2022–23
(× 3)		 2023–24
(× 4)		 2024–25
(× 5)		 Total
2025 2024 Mvt CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC
1 1 —  Egypt 8 3 7 4 8 2.5 7 7 10 4 190.5
2 2 —  Morocco 4 6 9 5 8 2 2 4 5 5 142
3 4 +1  South Africa 8 2 5 4 4 3 4 1.5 9 3 131
4 3 -1  Algeria 6 5 7 1 6 5 2 3 5 5 130
5 6 +1  Tanzania 3 0.5 0 2 3 4 6 0 2 4 82.5
6 5 -1  Tunisia 4 3 5 1 4 2 6 1 3 0.5 82.5
7 8 +1  Angola 1 0 5 0 2 0 3 1.5 2 2 55
8 7 -1  DR Congo 4 0 0 3 1 2 4 0 2 0 45
9 9 —  Sudan 3 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 3 0 41
10 11 +1  Ivory Coast 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 0 1 2 38
11 10 -1  Libya 0 0.5 0 5 0 0.5 0 3 0 0 24
12 12 —  Nigeria 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 21

2021−22 clubs

Locations of the 2021−22 clubs

Champions

Coupe du Congo [3]

Years Champions
1958 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (1)
1959 Not finished
1960 Not held
1961 Not held
1962 Not held
1963 DC Motema Pembe (1)
1964 DC Motema Pembe (2)
1965 AS Dragons (1)
1966 TP Mazembe (1)
1967 TP Mazembe (2)
1968 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (2)
1969 TP Mazembe (3)
1970 AS Vita Club (1)
1971 AS Vita Club (2)
1973 AS Vita Club (3)
1973 AS Vita Club (4)
1974 DC Motema Pembe (3)
1975 AS Vita Club (5)
1976 TP Mazembe (4)
1977 AS Vita Club (6)
1978 DC Motema Pembe (4)
1979 AS Dragons (2)
1980 AS Vita Club (7)
1981 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (3)
1982 AS Dragons (3)
1983 SM Sanga Balende (1)
1984 AS Dragons (4)
1985 US Tshinkunku (1)
1986 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (4)
1987 TP Mazembe (5)
1988 AS Vita Club (8)
1989 DC Motema Pembe (5)

Linafoot

Years Champions
1990 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (5)
1991 SCOM Mikishi (1)

Coupe du Zaïre

Years Champions
1992 US Bilombe (1)
1993 AS Vita Club (9)
1994 DC Motema Pembe (6)
1995 AS Bantous (1)
1996 DC Motema Pembe (7)
1997 AS Vita Club (10)

Linafoot

Years Champions
1998 DC Motema Pembe (8)
1999 DC Motema Pembe (9)
2000 TP Mazembe (6)
2001 TP Mazembe (7)
2002 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (6)
2003 AS Vita Club (11)
2004 DC Motema Pembe (10)
2005 DC Motema Pembe (11)
2006 TP Mazembe (8)
2007 TP Mazembe (9)
2008 DC Motema Pembe (12)
2009 TP Mazembe (10)
2010 AS Vita Club (12)
2011 TP Mazembe (11)
2012 TP Mazembe (12)
2013 TP Mazembe (13)
2013–14 TP Mazembe (14)
2014–15 AS Vita Club (13)
2015–16 TP Mazembe (15)
2016–17 TP Mazembe (16)
2017–18 AS Vita Club (14)
2018–19 TP Mazembe (17)
2019–20 TP Mazembe (18)
2020–21 AS Vita Club[4] (15)
2021–22 TP Mazembe (19)
2022–23 Championship canceled
2023–24 TP Mazembe (20)
2024–25 Aigles du Congo (1)

Performance by club

Linafoot (1990-91 and 1998-present)

Club City Titles Years
1 TP Mazembe Lubumbashi 15 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
2 DC Motema Pembe Kinshasa 5 1994, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2008
2 AS Vita Club Kinshasa 5 2003, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021
4 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo Lubumbashi 2 1990, 2002
5 SCOM Mikishi Lubumbashi 1 1991
5 Aigles du Congo Kinshasa 1 2025

Coupe du Congo/Zaire and Linafoot

Club City Titles Years
1 TP Mazembe (Includes TP Engelbert) Lubumbashi 20 1966, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1987, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
2 AS Vita Club Kinshasa 15 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2003, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021
3 DC Motema Pembe (Includes CS Imana) Kinshasa 12 1963, 1964, 1974, 1978, 1989, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2008
4 FC Saint Eloi Lupopo Lubumbashi 6 1958, 1968, 1981, 1986, 1990, 2002
5 AS Dragons (Includes AS Bilima) Kinshasa 4 1965, 1979, 1982, 1984
6 SM Sanga Balende Mbuji-Mayi 1 1983
US Tshinkunku Kananga 1 1985
SCOM Mikishi Lubumbashi 1 1991
US Bilombe Bukavu 1 1992
AS Bantous Mbuji-Mayi 1 1995
Aigles du Congo Kinshasa 1 2025

Players

Top goalscorers

Season Country Player Club Goals
2000 Papy Bazilepo Kinshasa City FC 19
2003 Belingo Brazzo AS Vita Club 8
2004 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 34
2005 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 22
2006 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 15
2007 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 15
2008 Serge Lofo Bongeli AS Vita Club 16
2009 Junior Kabananga FC MK Etanchéité 27
2012 Mbwana Samatta TP Mazembe 23
2013 Tady Agiti Etkiama AS Vita Club 13
2013–14 Mbwana Samatta TP Mazembe 15
2014–15 Roger Assale TP Mazembe 14
2015–16 Chavda Maïsha Sharks XI 12
2016–17 Ben Malango TP Mazembe 18
2017–18 Jean Marc Makusu AS Vita Club 24
2018–19 Jackson Muleka TP Mazembe 24
2019–20 Jackson Muleka TP Mazembe 12
2021–22 Makabi Lilepo AS Vita Club 9
2023–24 Fily Traore TP Mazembe 19
2024–25 Horso Mwaku FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo 14

All-time appearances

Rank Player Matches
1 Robert Kidiaba 681
2 Nelson Lukong 487
3 Djos Issama 453
4 Tresor Mputu 360
5 Eric Nkulukuta 275
6 Patou Kabangu 269
7 Ley Matampi 263
8 Christian Koffi 263
9 Kabaso Chongo 248
10 Pierre Ndaye 245
11 Belnadiw Bazola Pandev 243
In bold players still active.

Records and statistics

  • Trésor Mputu holds the record for most goals scored in history of Linafoot with 165 goals.
  • Trésor Mputu has won the top scorer award five times. He is the only player to have won it four times in a row.
  • Junior Kabananga hold the record for most goals scored in a season with 27 goals.
  • Cameroonian Nelson Lukong, with 487 matches, is the foreign player who has played the most matches in the history of Ligue 1 as of June 02, 2022.
  • Jackson Muleka, in the 2019-2020 season, scored the fastest goal in the history of the Championship after only 15 seconds with TP Mazembe.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vodacom Super Ligue". vodacom.genitranssprl.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  2. ^ https://www.radiookapi.net/2025/12/01/actualite/sport/trouble-au-stade-tata-raphael-apres-le-nul-1-1-entre-vita-et-motema-pembe
  3. ^ "Congo-Kinshasa (DR Congo; formerly Zaire) Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  4. ^ "RDC – Ligue 1 : La fédération reconnaît la décision du TAS, Vita Club officiellement champion". enquete.cd. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 2023-11-01..
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