Linafoot

For the football league in Chad known as LINAFOOT, see Chad Premier League.

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

Linafoot

Founded	1958
Country	DR Congo
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Number of clubs	25
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Linafoot Ligue 2
Domestic cup	Coupe du Congo
International cup(s)	CAF Champions League CAF Confederation Cup
Current champions	Aigles du Congo (1st title) (2024–25)
Most championships	TP Mazembe (20 titles)
Top scorer	Tresor Mputu (165 goals)
Website	linafoot.com
Current: 2025–26 Linafoot

In 2010 the competition was renamed the Vodacom Super League following the signing of a five-year sponsorship deal with communications company Vodacom.^[1]

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.

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

Kinshasa

Goma

Kindu

Lubumbashi

Bukavu

Kolwezi

Mbuji-Mayi

Likasi

Kananga

Locations of the 2021−22 clubs

• AC Rangers (Kinshasa)
• AS Dauphins Noirs (Goma)
• AS Maniema Union (Kindu)
• AS Kuya Sport (Kinshasa)
• AS Vita Club (Kinshasa)
• CS Don Bosco (Lubumbashi)
• DC Motema Pembe (Kinshasa)
• Etoile de Kivu (Bukavu)
• FC Blessing Kolwezi (Kolwezi)
• FC Renaissance du Congo (Kinshasa)
• FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo (Lubumbashi)
• FC Simba Kolwezi (Kolwezi)
• JS Kinshasa (Kinshasa)
• SM Sanga Balende (Mbuji-Mayi)
• TP Mazembe (Lubumbashi)
• US Panda B52 (Likasi)
• US Tshinkunku (Kananga)

Champions

Champions so far were:^[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)
1990	FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (5)
1991	SCOM Mikishi (1)
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)
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

	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

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

See also

• Linafoot Ligue 2