When will the 28th edition of the National Football League in DRC start? The FECOFA and the management committee of the national championship (Linafoot), have not yet found the date of launch. The last consultation meeting between the two sports bodies has just set a guideline for the proper organization of this national championship, confirms the Secretary General of FECOFA, Belgian Situatala.
A little more time to attend the official launch of the soccer season in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A worrying situation that puts the clubs involved in great difficulty. The Executive Committee of the Congolese Federation of Association Football (FECOFA) had a technical meeting with the management committee of the National Football League (Linafoot). Only one item on the agenda: the resumption of the national soccer championship.
At the end of this meeting, the two parties did not speak the same language. The secretary general of FECOFA, Belgian Situatala, said that there is no date yet for the resumption of the national championship. However, he says that it is not for long. According to him, FECOFA was still concerned about the problems of participation of Congolese clubs in interclub competitions of CAF (Champions League and Confederation Cup).
"At our level, we felt that many prerequisites inherent in the normal start of this championship were not yet met. And we asked our members to postpone the exercise of its release. So that we can meet for a working session in order to exchange on the various prerequisites. We have indeed exchanged. And we have reached a consensus since they are the ones who manage the championship by convention," said the secretary general of FECOFA, Belgian Situatala.
Travel, a serious problem for clubs
The Congolese clubs face a serious problem of travelling. It was the biggest concern of last season which unfortunately, was played in only one round. During the season, the Congolese government in collaboration with the airline company Congo Airways, had made a commitment to support the travel costs of all clubs. The result was not satisfactory and the championship stopped in a hurry. According to FECOFA, all necessary measures should be taken to avoid all these inconveniences.
The DRC has four representatives in the CAF Interclubs, namely TP Mazembe, AS V. Club (Champions League), DCMP and Lupopo (CAF Cup). These clubs, which played only one round of the championship last season, start their competition without match fitness. This may have a negative impact on the results.
Friendly matches, as alternative solutions
To overcome this difficulty, the four clubs involved in the CAF inter clubs and others in the national championship have only one solution: that of organizing friendly matches to maintain their form. Lupopo has retreated to Casablanca to fine-tune its strategies. TP Mazembe is currently in Ndola, Zambia, where it has scheduled a series of friendly matches. AS V. Club and DCMP are in Kinshasa and are also playing friendly matches.
According to the SG of FECOFA, the negotiations are on the right track and the conclusions will soon be sent to the top hierarchy. The 2022-2023 season will be played in two rounds as usual. This is one of the major decisions taken between FECOFA and Linafoot during their last meeting.
