D1, FECOFA HAS ITS RECIPE
Linafoot: they move from 20 to 36 games!
August 27, 2014
The Congolese Football Association (FECOFA) has extended the championship of Linafoot. In a letter sent earlier on August 22 to the institution under the management of the president Simon KAYOYO three big changes: they move from 16 to 20 teams, there will be the playoffs to 10 teams instead of four, and the number of matches’ increases from 20 to 36 games. The rest? A question of sponsorship...
20 teams will take part in the 2014-2015 edition of the Congolese Football Championship of League 1 as stated by our federation. Two groups of 10 clubs will be formed and will play a classic and regular phase in return matches (18 games per team). The top five will advance to classified phase of the play-offs which increased from 4 to 10 teams, which gives 18 more games left. The teams ranked 1st and 2nd will qualify for the CAF Champion’s League; the 3rd of Linafoot will join the winner of the DRC Cup to represent the country in the CAF club competitions.
As for the championship, FECOFA decided to keep the 16 teams that competed in the last edition. On the conditions for the rise of four clubs to complete these 16 teams, three groups will be formed by the winners of the provincial championships after which the first three of these playoffs including the fourth best loser will complete the podium.
Two big questions to date: after the departure of Vodacom who will sponsor the league and on what scale? And when is the beginning of this new broader formula?