Ligue 1 (Congo-DR)

Ligue 1 (DR Congo) (Illicocash Ligue 1) - the top-tier professional club championship in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, organized under Linafoot and FECOFA. Regulations: the participant list is approved per season and, in the current model, the league is played in two groups where teams face group opponents home and away, with points awarded 3 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss, and teams level on points are ranked by goal difference and then goals scored, followed by any additional criteria set out in the organizer’s regulations. After the regular group phase, the best-placed teams qualify for a final stage (play-off) to decide the title according to the season’s scheme, while relegation to Ligue 2 is determined from the regular-phase tables in seasons where no separate play-down stage is held. CAF club competition places are allocated via the final league classification and the national cup, typically sending the champion and runner-up to the CAF Champions League, and a further slot to the CAF Confederation Cup alongside the DR Congo cup winner, subject to CAF confirmation for the season.