DRC: Risk of another early end to the Ligue 1 championship

The seasons follow one another and are similar to the national championship of Ligue 1 of the DRC: this season again, the shadow of an early stop hangs over this championship which has not been completed for several seasons now. While the first leg of the playoffs ends on Monday, May 25, the schedule for the second leg remains unpublished.

Mandatory Override
The sports season ends on May 31 in the DRC; the organization of the second leg of the playoffs is therefore conditional on the Congolese Football Federation obtaining a waiver from the Ministry of Sport to allow LINAFOOT to play its matches beyond May 31. But so far, no exemption is granted and no declaration is made on the LINAFOOT side.

And the uncertainty of an extension of the sports season also exists, especially since during the month of June there will be the World Cup, a competition in which the DRC will take part, which will sign its return after 52 years.

Towards a ranking established on the first leg alone?
The playoff phase is the decisive stage of the championship because it is at the end of this phase that the three representatives of the DRC to the next CAF Interclub Cups will be known. The first two will play in the Champions League while the third will play in the Confederation Cup, together with the winner of the Cup of Congo. And if the second round of the playoffs were not to be decided, the final standings would have to be established taking into account only the results recorded during the first leg.

In this case, TP Mazembe, current leader (15 points), and FC Les Aigles du Congo, second (14 points), will compete for the title on Monday during their confrontation in Kinshasa. The third place qualifier should then be between Don Bosco, currently third (10 points), and V. Club, fourth (9 points). To be African, the Black Dolphins of V. Club will not only have to win their last match on Sunday against Céleste FC, but also count on a misstep of Don Bosco against Simba on Monday.