The Super Ligue, formerly known as Ligue 1, is the top division of football in Niger. There are 14 teams competing in the league, which operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Ligue Nationale.
The league began in 1966, with Secteur 6 winning the first five championships. It was known as the Ligue 1 between 2010 and 2018, when it changed its name to Super Ligue.
History Although the championship has been contested since 1966, the structure has changed over time, and a number of years the competition has been canceled or shortened. In 2002, the league was completely cancelled.
Several major clubs dropped out in 2004 and 2005 for financial reasons and because of the 2005 famine afflicting the south center of the nation. In 2004, for instance, three clubs in the first round were disqualified, and more than two dozen matches were annulled or awarded after the fact for a variety of offences.RSSSF 2004 season review For instance, one match was abandoned and BOTH clubs were assigned 0–3 losses.
Since the 1990s, the clubs compete in a group stage, the winners of which advance to the "Super League" which contests the second half of the season, with the losers contesting a league to determine what clubs will be relegated to the Regional leagues. The Leagues in each of the Nigerien regions (called the Nigerien D2 Championships) then send champions to a play-off to determine which two clubs will be promoted.
Historically, Niamey has had the most accomplished regional league, and has provided most clubs in the national championship. Only two clubs from outside Niamey have ever won the championship. The Ligue de Niamey has been powerful enough that, after disputes over relegation on 2000, five Niamey clubs formed their own rival competition (the "Coupe des Sponsors"), and played only the Ligue de Niamey championship in the 2002 season, when the Nigerien Football Federation cancelled the season due to funding shortfalls.RSSSF 2001 , RSSSF 2002
2021−22 Super Ligue teams
TeamLocationStadiumCapacityAkokana FCArlitStade d'Arlit7,000AS DouanesNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000AS Forces ArméesNiameyStade du Camp Bagagi Iya5,000AS GNNNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000AS PoliceNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000AS SONIDEPNiameyStade municipal de Niamey5,000ASN NigelecNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000Espoir FCZinderStade de Zinder10,000JS TahouaTahouaStade Régional de Tahoua5,000Olympic NiameyNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000RC BoukokiNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000Sahel SCNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000Urana FCArlitStade d'Arlit7,000US Gendarmerie NationaleNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
Standings 2023-24
The final 2023-24 Super Ligue standings:
Previous champions + Years Champions1966Olympic (1)1967Olympic (2)1968Olympic (3)1969Olympic (4)1970Olympic (5)1971AS FAN (1)1972Not held1973Sahel SC (1)1974Sahel SC (2)1975AS FAN (2)1976Olympic (6)1977Olympic (7)1978Olympic (8)1979Not held1980AS Niamey (1) 1981AS Niamey (2)1982AS Niamey (3) 1983Jangorzo (1)1984Espoir (1)1985Zumunta AC (1) 1986Sahel SC (3)1987Sahel SC (4) 1988Zumunta AC (2)1989Olympic (9)1990Sahel SC (5) 1991Sahel SC (6) 1992Sahel SC (7)1993Zumunta AC (3)1994Sahel SC (8) 1995Not held1996Sahel SC (9) 1997–98Olympic (10)1999Olympic (11)2000JS Ténéré (1) 2001JS Ténéré (2)2002Not held2003Sahel SC (10)2004Sahel SC (11)2005AS GNN (1)2006AS GNN (2)2007Sahel SC (12)2008AS Police (1)2009Sahel SC (13)2010AS FAN (3)2010–11AS GNN (3)2011–12Olympic (12)2012–13Douanes (1)2013–14AS GNN (4)2014–15Douanes (2)2015–16AS FAN (4)2016–17AS FAN (5)2017–18AS SONIDEP (1)2018–19AS SONIDEP (2)2019–2020 Not held due to COVID-192020–21US Gendarmerie Nationale (1)2021–22ASN Nigelec FC (1) 2022–23AS GNN (5)2023–24AS GNN (6)2024–25AS FAN (6)
Qualification for CAF 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 —02000202011315 +20000010210.51414 —00000013001513 -220102000.5001619 +30010001000.51721 +412000000011817 -100000020001918 -100010100.5002016 -40300.51000002122 +100000100002222 —000010000023- new0000000000.52420 -401.500.50000002524 -10000.50000002524 -1 0000.50000002726 -100.500000000
Performance by club Club Titles Winning seasons Sahel SC 13 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006–07, 2009 Olympic FC 12 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1997–98, 1999, 2011–12 ASGNN 6 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2023–24 AS FAN 6 1971, 1975, 2010, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2024-25 AS Niamey 3 1980, 1981, 1982 Zumunta AC 3 1985, 1988, 1993 AS Douanes 2 2012–13, 2014–15 AS SONIDEP 2 2017–18, 2018–19 JS du Ténéré 2 2000, 2001 Espoir FC 1 1984 Jangorzo FC 1 1983 AS Police 1 2008 US Gendarmerie Nationale 1 2020–21 ASN Nigelec 1 2021–22
Top goalscorers SeasonPlayerTeamGoals2023–24 Victorien AdebayorAS GNN222024-25 Elvis Bernard AddaeAS FAN152025-26 Osman IbrahimDouanes17 Multiple hat-tricks RankCountryPlayerHat-tricks1Victorien Adebayor2
References
External links League at FIFA.com (archived 22 November 2007) RSSSF competition history Rec Sports Soccer Foundation: Niger 2008: Championnat national de première division. (archived 8 January 2013)