The Linafoot 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. 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 winner 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.
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. 1958-1971: Coupe du Congo 1972-1989: Coupe du Zaïre 1990-1991: Linafoot 1992-1997: Coupe du Zaïre 1998-present: Linafoot
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
Rank Association 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 Total 2025 2024 Mvt CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC CL CC11 —837482.57710422 —469582245534 +182544341.59343 -1657165235556 +130.50234602465 -14351426130.578 +110502031.52287 -1400312402099 —30303020301011 +100010330121110 -100.50500.503001212 —0200020201
Current clubs Teams within the league are divided into two groups which face each other twice throughout the regular season. The top four teams of each group at the end of the regular season qualify for the championship round, which consists of another set of home and away matches for each team. The top two finishers qualify for the CAF Champions League and the third the CAF Confederation Cup.
+ Group A Team Location Stadium TP Mazembe Lubumbashi Stade TP Mazembe FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo Lubumbashi Stade Omnisports Frédéric-Kibasa-Maliba CS Don Bosco Lubumbashi Stade TP Mazembe AS Simba Kolwezi Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba CS Manika Kolwezi Stade Dominique Diur FC Tanganyika Kalemie Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba FC Lubumbashi Sport Lubumbashi Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba Blessing FC Kolwezi Stade Dominique Diur SM Sanga Balende Mbuji-Mayi Stade des Martyrs AS Saint-Luc — — AS Malole Kananga Stade des Jeunes de Katoka AS New Soger Lubumbashi Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba US Tshinkunku Kananga Stade des Jeunes de Katoka JS Groupe Bazano Lubumbashi Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba FC Tshikas — — US Panda B52 Likasi Stade Kikula
+ Group B Team Location Stadium AS Maniema Union Kindu Stade Joseph Kabila Kabange FC Les Aigles du Congo Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs AS Vita Club Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs Céleste FC Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs AS Dauphin Noir Goma Stade Joseph Kabila Kabange AF Anges Verts Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs AC Rangers Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs FC Étoile du Kivu Bukavu Stade Joseph Kabila Kabange New JAK FC Kinshasa Stade Tata Raphaël FC Renaissance du Congo Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs OC Renaissance du Congo Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs OC Bukavu-Dawa Bukavu Stade Tata Raphaël DC Motema Pembe Imana Kinshasa Stade des Martyrs FC MK Kinshasa Stade Tata Raphaël AS Martin Pêcheur Isiro —
Champions Coupe du Congo Years Champions1958FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (1) 1959 Not finished1960 Not held1961 Not held1962 Not held1963DC Motema Pembe (1) 1964DC Motema Pembe (2) 1965AS Dragons (1) 1966TP Mazembe (1) 1967TP Mazembe (2) 1968FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (2) 1969TP Mazembe (3) 1970AS Vita Club (1) 1971AS Vita Club (2) 1973AS Vita Club (3) 1973AS Vita Club (4) 1974DC Motema Pembe (3) 1975AS Vita Club (5) 1976TP Mazembe (4) 1977AS Vita Club (6) 1978DC Motema Pembe (4) 1979AS Dragons (2) 1980AS Vita Club (7) 1981FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (3) 1982AS Dragons (3) 1983SM Sanga Balende (1) 1984AS Dragons (4) 1985US Tshinkunku (1) 1986FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (4) 1987TP Mazembe (5) 1988AS Vita Club (8) 1989DC Motema Pembe (5)
Linafoot Years Champions1990FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (5) 1991SCOM Mikishi (1)
Coupe du Zaïre Years Champions1992US Bilombe (1)1993AS Vita Club (9) 1994DC Motema Pembe (6) 1995AS Bantous (1) 1996DC Motema Pembe (7) 1997AS Vita Club (10)
Linafoot Years Champions1998DC Motema Pembe (8)1999DC Motema Pembe (9) 2000TP Mazembe (6) 2001TP Mazembe (7) 2002FC Saint Eloi Lupopo (6) 2003AS Vita Club (11) 2004DC Motema Pembe (10)2005DC Motema Pembe (11) 2006TP Mazembe (8) 2007TP Mazembe (9) 2008DC Motema Pembe (12) 2009TP Mazembe (10) 2010AS Vita Club (12) 2011TP Mazembe (11) 2012TP Mazembe (12) 2013TP Mazembe (13)2013–14TP Mazembe (14) 2014–15AS Vita Club (13) 2015–16TP Mazembe (15) 2016–17TP Mazembe (16) 2017–18AS Vita Club (14)2018–19TP Mazembe (17)2019–20TP Mazembe (18) 2020–21AS Vita Club. (15)2021–22TP Mazembe (19) 2022–23Championship canceled2023–24TP Mazembe (20)2024–25Aigles du Congo (1)2025–26TP Mazembe (21)
Performance by club
Linafoot (1990-91 and 1998-present) Club City Titles Years1 TP Mazembe Lubumbashi 21 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024,2026 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 Years1 TP Mazembe (Includes TP Engelbert) Lubumbashi 21 1966, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1987, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025-26 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, 20025 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 SeasonCountry PlayerClubGoals2000 Papy Bazilepo Kinshasa City FC 192003 Belingo Brazzo AS Vita Club 82004 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 342005 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 222006 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 152007 Tresor Mputu TP Mazembe 152008 Serge Lofo Bongeli AS Vita Club 162009 Junior Kabananga FC MK Etanchéité 272012 Mbwana Samatta TP Mazembe 23 2013 Tady Agiti EtkiamaAS Vita Club 132013–14 Mbwana Samatta TP Mazembe 152014–15 Roger Assale TP Mazembe 142015–16 Chavda MaïshaSharks XI12 2016–17 Ben Malango TP Mazembe 182017–18 Jean Marc Makusu AS Vita Club 242018–19 Jackson Muleka TP Mazembe 242019–20 Jackson Muleka TP Mazembe 122021–22 Makabi Lilepo AS Vita Club 92023–24 Fily TraoreTP Mazembe192024–25 Horso Mwaku FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo 14
All-time appearances +RankPlayerMatches1 Robert Kidiaba6812 Nelson Lukong4873 Djos Issama4534 Tresor Mputu3605 Eric Nkulukuta2756 Patou Kabangu2697 Ley Matampi2638 Christian Koffi2639 Kabaso Chongo24810 Pierre Ndaye24511 Belnadiw Bazola Pandev243In 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 Coupe du Congo DR Congo Super Cup Linafoot Ligue 2
References
External links League standings, results and fixtures at Soccerway League overview at FIFA.com (archived 18 August 2007)