Linafoot 2025: tense play-offs and a contested format

After a long regular season, it is time for the L'illiccash Ligue 1 play-offs. This decisive stage of the championship will begin on 23 April, according to a Linafoot statement.

The play-offs are to be staged in just two cities, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, because little time remains before the end of the season on 31 May. Unable to organise the play-offs in full within a month and a half, Linafoot will need FECOFA to secure a two-month extension from the Minister of Sports so the decisive phase of the championship can be run properly.

Maniema Union and Sanga Balende disagree

The decision to hold the play-offs in only two cities has gone down very badly with the clubs whose home bases are not Kinshasa or Lubumbashi.

Of the 12 clubs qualified for the play-offs, 4 are not based in those two cities. They are AS Maniema Union from Kundu, Sa Majesté Sanga Balende from Mbuji Mayi, FC Tanganyika from Kalemie and AS Simba from Kolwezi. AS Maniema Union and Sa Majesté Sanga Balende have formally challenged the decision.

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Maniema Union have also threatened to boycott the play-offs if the decision is not changed, arguing that it would favour the clubs from those two cities, who will be playing in front of their own fans. "We need fairness in our championship, and the rules should be respected. Everyone must be able to play at home and be hosted away. Do you want us to play home and away in Kinshasa against the Kinshasa teams? That is surely favouring them, isn't it? We do not agree, and you know we were not well treated by the Kinshasa people when we played our Champions League matches", said Papy Kimoto, Maniema Union coach.

The decision to stage the play-offs in two cities was taken by the ad hoc committee made up of clubs, after the three-way FECOFA - Linafoot - clubs meeting held last February. Maniema Union and Sanga Balende say they were not part of that ad hoc committee, while the other clubs, surprised by their move, maintain that the decision was reached by consensus.

African places up for grabs

The play-off stage is the most important part of the championship because it will decide three of the DR Congo's four representatives in the 2025-2026 CAF interclub competitions. The champions and the runners-up will play in the Champions League, while the third-placed club will play in the Confederation Cup, alongside the winner of the Congo Cup.

Judging by their performances in the regular season, in which they finished top of Group A, the Ravens of TP Mazembe are again favourites to retain the title. But that overlooks the determination of AS Maniema Union, who finished second last season and showed again in the regular season that they can go after a first title this year, finishing top of Group B.

The African places will again be fiercely contested this season because, besides FC Saint Éloi Lupopo, who finished third last season and are in good form, there is FC Les Aigles Congo, fourth in the last edition and openly aiming to reach African competition next season.

To prepare for the play-offs, the Samouraï are on a training camp in Tanzania. As for Kinshasa's two big clubs, V. Club and DCMP, they will have to fight very hard given the fragility they showed in the regular season.