Super Ligue (Niger) Explained

Super Ligue
Country:Niger
Confed:CAF
Founded:1966
Teams:14
Relegation:Ligue Nationale
Levels:1
Domest Cup:Niger Cup
Confed Cup:Champions League
Confederation Cup
Champions:AS GNN
Season:2023–24
Most Successful Club:Sahel SC (13)
Current:2024–25 Ligue 1

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[1] and 2018,[2] when it changed its name to Super Ligue.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6]

Current clubs (2021−22 season)

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Akokana FCArlitStade d'Arlit7,000
AS DouanesNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
AS Forces ArméesNiameyStade du Camp Bagagi Iya5,000
AS GNNNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
AS PoliceNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
AS SONIDEPNiameyStade municipal de Niamey5,000
ASN NigelecNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
Espoir FCZinderStade de Zinder10,000
JS TahouaTahouaStade Régional de Tahoua5,000
Olympic NiameyNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
RC BoukokiNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
Sahel SCNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000
Urana FCArlitStade d'Arlit7,000
US Gendarmerie NationaleNiameyStade Général Seyni Kountché50,000

Previous champions

! Years! Champions
1966Olympic FC (1)
1967Olympic FC (2)
1968Olympic FC (3)
1969Olympic FC (4)
1970Olympic FC (5)
1971ASFAN Niamey (1)
1972Not held
1973Sahel SC (1)
1974Sahel SC (2)
1975ASFAN Niamey (2)
1976Olympic FC (6)
1977Olympic FC (7)
1978Olympic FC (8)
1979Not held
1980AS Niamey (1)
1981AS Niamey (2)
1982AS Niamey (3)
1983Jangorzo FC (1)
1984Espoir FC (1)
1985Zumunta AC (1)
1986Sahel SC (3)
1987Sahel SC (4)
1988Zumunta AC (2)
1989Olympic FC (9)
1990Sahel SC (5)
1991Sahel SC (6)
1992Sahel SC (7)
1993Zumunta AC (3)
1994Sahel SC (8)
1995Not held
1996Sahel SC (9)
1997/98Olympic FC (10)
1999Olympic FC (11)
2000JS Ténéré (1)
2001JS Ténéré (2)
2002Not held
2003Sahel SC (10)
2004Sahel SC (11)
2005ASGNN (1)
2006ASGNN (2)
2007Sahel SC (12)
2008AS Police (1)
2009Sahel SC (13)
2010ASFAN Niamey (3)
2010-2011ASGNN (3)
2011-2012Olympic FC (12)
2012/13AS Douanes Niamey (1)
2013-2014ASGNN (4)
2014-2015AS Douanes Niamey (2)
2015-2016ASFAN Niamey (4)
2016-2017ASFAN Niamey (5)
2017-2018AS Sonidep (1)
2018-2019AS Sonidep (2)
Not held in 2019-2020 due to Covid-19[7] -- auto-translated from French by Module:CS1 translator -->
2020-2021US Gendarmerie Nationale (1)
2021-2022ASN Nigelec FC (1)
2022-2023ASGNN (5)
2023-2024ASGNN (6)

Performance by club

ClubTitlesWinning seasons
13 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006–07, 2009
12 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1997–98, 1999, 2011–12
6 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2023–24
5 1971, 1975, 2010, 2015–16, 2016–17
3 1980, 1981, 1982
3 1985, 1988, 1993
2 2012–13, 2014–15
2 2017–18, 2018–19
2 2000, 2001
1 1984
1 1983
1 2008
1 2020–21
1 2021–22

Top goalscorers

Multiple hat-tricks

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Niger 2010/11. 2022-01-10. RSSSF. 25 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240625182305/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/niger2011.html. live.
  2. Web site: Niger 2017/18. 2022-01-10. RSSSF. 25 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240625182419/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/niger2018.html. live.
  3. Web site: Niger 2018/19. 2022-01-10. RSSSF. 25 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240625182305/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/niger2019.html. live.
  4. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/niger04.html RSSSF 2004 season review
  5. Web site: RSSSF Championships . 3 February 2023 . 24 October 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081024020051/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesn/nigerchamp.html . live .
  6. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/niger01.html RSSSF 2001
  7. Web site: 24 May 2020 . 5 May 2020 . Le Niger annule lui aussi sa saison . www.sofoot.com . 30 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211230025819/https://www.sofoot.com/le-niger-annule-lui-aussi-sa-saison-483060.html . live . <