After the national championship ended on 11 June, it's time for the Congo Cup, the preliminaries of which kick off on 15 June. In the meantime, here are some of the players who have shone brightly in Ligue 1.
The return leg of Congo-Brazzaville's Ligue 1 championship kicked off on 3 March and came to a close on 11 June with the rematch of matchday 17. AS Otoho d'Oyo were crowned champions for the sixth consecutive time since Matchday 25 on 21 May, but the final matches were so high-stakes that they should determine the future of a number of clubs.
These included Patronage Sainte-Anne, who, with 20 points, were determined to win their final match against AS Cheminots de Pointe-Noire and hope for at least 13th and penultimate place in order to qualify for the play-offs for promotion to the top flight. Unfortunately, Théodule Boueya and his men lost 1-2 at home and will be relegated straight to Ligue 2.
AS Otoho are consistent
While the regrets at Patronage Sainte-Anne remain just as vivid, the sadness is in stark contrast to the atmosphere at AS Otoho (61 points), champions for the sixth year running.
At the close of play on 11 June in Brazzaville, the club from Oyo (in the north of the country) received a cheque for 25 million CFA francs (over 38,100 euros) from the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT).
Runners-up for the second time in a row, Diables noirs de Brazzaville (52 points) received an envelope of 10 million CFA francs (15,244 euros). And just as they did last season, the Noir-Jaune could yet make the difference in the Congo Cup, especially as they are the most successful club in the competition with nine cups in their trophy cabinet.
The girls at last!
As for the women's teams, finally the grail! AC Colombe of Brazzaville and Epah-Ngamba of Pointe-Noire, champions of Congo in 2021 and 2022 respectively, have finally received their envelopes of three million CFA francs each. "It's been a long wait! But better late than never," exclaimed Fatoumata Ndiaye, captain of Epah-Ngamba.
Rox Oyo, top scorer
And if these teams have won these trophies, it is thanks to their players and managers. For example, Rox Oyo, who scored 12 goals, is alone at the top of the scorers' charts. This feat earned the striker from Nouvelle Génération de Brazzaville (8th in the final standings) a cheque for 1 million CFA francs
Julien Mette, Otoho's first title as coach
These players performed under the guidance of their coaches. In this category, it was Julien Mette of AS Otoho who beat all his thirteen counterparts and opponents. He received a cheque for 1 million CFA francs. Appointed in August 2022, the Frenchman from the Djibouti national team will fight to become the first manager of his side to win the Congo Cup, as the club chaired by Raoul Ominga has never won the Congo Cup since its creation in 2014.
Jessie Oved Nkounkou, Congo's best referee
The referees have not been forgotten. Jessie Oved Nkounkou was named best central referee of this 58th edition of Ligue 1. One of the few Congolese to referee international matches in recent times (Pyramids FC of Egypt vs ASKO of Togo in the CAF Cup), Nkounkou is often highly regarded in his homeland. Especially in an environment where refereeing is sometimes the subject of controversy.
"While we congratulate him on having been selected to officiate this competition (CAN U20 2021, editor's note), we dare to believe that he will no longer come and waste matches in Congo for a few banknotes", said one Internet user on social networks.
The thirty-year-old received a cheque for 1 million CFA francs. His counterpart, Styven Danek Moutsassi Moyo, was named best assistant referee. Among his achievements away from home was the validation of his VAR course last year in Egypt. He also pocketed the sum of 1 million CFA francs for this performance.
These awards should serve as a driving force for excellence at a time when Congolese football is floundering in all its administrative and sporting areas.
