Top Flight Football Leagues In Africa

When it comes to football in Africa, the continent is so vast that there are a huge number of countries with their own leagues. The Premier League is actually the most popular competition on the continent, with names such as Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and Didier Drogba having played in the English top-flight at one point or another. Whilst the likes of the World Cup and the European Championship might be amongst the most-watched of competitions in the Western world, the popularity of the Africa Cup of Nations should not be played down. AFCON is seen by millions around the world each time it takes place.

The African leagues are obviously nowhere near the quality level that you would expect from the likes of the Premier League, Bundesliga or La Liga, but for the locals who wish to actually attend matches they are one of the best ways of being able to do so. Of course those people would love the chance to head to Anfield, the Nou Camp or the Westfalenstadion, but the amount of money it would cost makes it little more than a pipe dream for most of them. With that in mind, they turn up to their local leagues in their droves to see players who may one day be able to make it in one of those major European divisions.

The continent of Africa is so incredibly expansive that it is split up into different zones, in order to ensure the sensible running of the various associations. There is the Union of North African Football, the West African Football Union, the Central African Football Federations’ Union, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. There are also some countries that don’t have a link to any association but are still part of Africa. The entire continent is represented to FIFA by the Confederation of African Football, or CAF.

• Jump To:
• North Africa
• West Africa
• Central Africa
• East & Central Africa
• South Africa
• Unassociated Nations

North Africa

Algeria

Sitting at the top of the pyramid of football in Algeria is the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and boasts 16 teams, working with Ligue 2 in terms of promotion and relegation. Also known as the Championnat National de Première Division but usually referred to simply as Ligue 1 for simplicity, it was created in 1962 when Algeria became its own independent nation. Prior to that only regional leagues in the likes of Algiers and Constantine took place in the area.

Egypt

The Egyptian Premier League is the top-flight in the country. There are 18 teams that play in it, with a series of promotion and relegation in place with the Egyptian Second Division A. Numerous local teams had existed prior to 1948, but that year saw the unification of them all into one division for Egyptian football. The most successful club by some distance is Al Ahly. For a time, the Egyptian Premier League had one of the highest average attendances in all of Africa.

Libya

In Libya, the top-flight is the Libyan Premier League, which has 22 teams that play in it. They are split into two groups of 11, with the two lowest-placed teams in each relegated into the First Division. Prior to the creation of the Libyan Premier League in 1963 there were three Provincial Championships played in the country. Those three were based on their geographical location, with one in the Eastern area, one in the Western and the other for the Southern provinces.

Morocco

The Moroccan top-flight actually formed in 1911 as the UNAF, but in 1992 the top clubs decided to break away and create the FRMF. That became the Botola Pro in 2011, which has remained its name since. It features 16 teams that play each other twice in a double round-robin format. That means that each side played 30 games each between August and May before a system of relegation and promotion is in place with the Botola 2.

Tunisia

The Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 can be dated back to 1907, which was when the country was under the French protectorate. In 1956 it became known as the Tunisian National Championship, then in 1994 it underwent another change that introduced the format that is played now. The 16 participating teams play each other once at home and once away as they look to either win the title or avoid relegation down to Ligue Professionnelle 2.

West Africa

Benin

Known as the Championnat National du Bénin in French, the Benin Premier League is the top-flight in the country and took place for the first time in 1969. The format of the league sees a double round-robin tournament take place, with the 36 participating teams split into four groups of 9. The last five groups go into the relegation round and the first four head into the final stage. Relegation sees clubs head to the Benin Second Division.

Burkina Faso

The Burkinabé Premier League, also known as the Fasofoot D1, is the top-flight competition for football in Burkina Faso. There is not a huge amount that we can tell you about it, other than the fact that it first took place in 1961 and that 14 teams currently compete in it.

Cape Verde

Also known as the Campeonato Caboverdiano de Futebol, the Cape Verdean Football Championship can trace its history back to 1976. In truth, it could even be said to go back further than that given the fact that a football championship took place in 1938, but that was unofficial. The current league’s history dates back to Cape Verde’s independence from Portuguese rule. It features 12 teams that come from the country’s nine inhabited islands, which each have their own leagues to decide which club will represent them.

Gambia

There are 16 teams that play in the GFA League First Division, which dates back to 1965, which is when it was incorporated. They are each looking to either win the title or else avoid relegation to the GFA League Second Division.

Ghana

The 18 teams that play football in the Ghana Premier League are trying to avoid relegation down to the Division One League, whilst the best of them are hoping to win the title. It was formed in 1958 in order to replace the Gold Coast Club Competition, which had been set up in 1933. One of the most famous players to have emerged from the league was Tony Yeboah, who played for Cornerstones before eventually making his way to Leeds United.

Guinea

Known as Ligue 1 Pro colloquially, the Guinée Championnat National is the top-flight of football in the country. It can be dated back to 1965, with the modern version seeing 14 teams competing for the title.

Guinea-Bissau

The highest level of football in Guinea-Bissau is the Campeonato Nacional da Guiné-Bissau, which was formed in 1975. There are 16 clubs that play their games in the division.

Ivory Coast

First formed in 1960, Ligue 1 is the top-flight competition in the Ivory Coast and is home to 16 teams. The best want to win the title, whilst the worst want to avoid relegation down to Ligue 2. One of the competition’s teams, ASEC Mimosas, holds the world record for unbeaten games, having gone 108 matches in all competitions without losing between 1989 and 1994.

Liberia

Boasting 14 teams, the Liberian First Division operates a system of relegation and promotion with the LFA Second Division. It began in 1956 and has enjoyed numerous sponsors over the years.

Mali

The Malian Première Division, also known as Ligue 1, sees football take place between December and August each year. There are 18 teams that are split into two leagues of nine, with a round-robin home and away system of games played before the top two from each move into the Championship Play-Off. They then enter a round-robin between them all before the champions are crowned.

Mauritania

Football in Mauritania has the Super D1 as its top-flight, boasting 14 teams that are either looking to win the title or else avoid relegation down to the Mauritanian 2nd Division. League football has been played in the country since 1976.

Niger

The Super Ligue, which was previously known as Ligue 1, has borne its current moniker since 2018. It was founded in 1966, with the structure changing numerous times. Since the 1990s the teams taking part in it compete in a group stage before the ‘Super League’ begins in the second half of the season. There is a system of relegation and promotion in place with the Ligue Nationale.

Nigeria

Formed in 1972, the top-flight division in Nigeria was renamed to become the Nigeria Premier League in 1993, but had numerous other titles before settling on the Nigeria Professional Football League in 2014. It has a system of relegation and promotion in place with the Nigeria National League, with the 20 teams that play in it hoping to avoid going down.

Senegal

The Senegalese top-flight was formed in 1960 and was known as the Senegal Premier League for a time. Nowadays it is called Ligue 1 and operates a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2.

Sierra Leone

The Sierra Leone National Premier League can trace its history back to 1967 and sees 18 teams compete with each other. The bottom three sides at the end of the season, in which the teams play one another twice, get relegated down to the Sierra Leone National First Division. The champions get to play in the CAF Champions League.

Togo

The premier footballing competition in Togo is the Championnat National de Premiere Division, which was founded in 1961. It is administered by the Togolese Football Federation and involves 12 teams that are split into two groups, with the top sides playing against one another for the title.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Also known as Elite One, the Championnat du Cameroun de football is the top league in Cameroon and operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Elite Two. It can be dated back to 1961 and is governed by the Cameroonian Football Federation.

Central African Republic

Created in 1968, the Central African Republic League is governed by the Central African Football Federation. There are 12 teams that compete in it, either trying to win the title or else avoid relegation down to D2.

Chad

Also known by its French title of the Ligue Nationale de Football, the Chad Premier League was formed in 1988 but top-flight football in the country can be dated back to 1961. There have been numerous format changes since the competition’s inception, with the new formula split into two phases. The first is the zonal phase, which sees teams play others in their zone. After that is a tournament with a group stage and a final, with each group having six teams in it. The top teams progress to the final.

Congo

The Republic of Congo has its own division, which is known as Congo Ligue 1. It was first played in 1961 and has undergone numerous different formats over the years. Nowadays there are 16 teams that play in it, with 18 teams having taken part when it was reformed in 2009 but two have since dropped out.

DR Congo

The top-flight of football in the Democratic Republic of Congo is Ligue 1 and was created in 1958. If you would like proof that football in Africa is just as popular as in other countries then it could be found in the fact that 80,000 supporters attended a game between DC Motema Pembe and AS Vita Club in 2013. There are 20 teams that play in it, with a system of promotion and relegation in place with Ligue 2.

Equatorial Guinea

The Liga de Fútbol de Guinea Ecuatorial is often called either the Liga Semiprofesional or the Primera División doe Honour. Regardless, it is the top division in Equatorial Guinea and was created in 1979, before which there were two leagues that existed for the European teams and the local ones. It has been semi-professional since 2011 and since a year after it has seen all 24 teams play in the seven different stadiums in the country.

Gabon

In Gabon, the top-flight is known as the Gabon Championnat National D1 and it features 14 different teams. It was created in 1968.

São Tomé and Príncipe

Sitting at the top of the footballing pyramid in São Tomé and Príncipe is the São Tomé and Príncipe Championship. It was founded in 1977 and features 18 teams that participate in two separate leagues. There are 12 from São Tomé Island, with another six competing on Príncipe Island. The one on São Tomé Island has two relegation places, whilst no relegation happens on Príncipe Island.

East & Central Africa

Burundi

The highest division of football in Burundi is the Burundi Ligue A, which dates back to a formation in 1972. The 16 teams play once at home and once away during the course of a season, at the end of which there will be a champion crowned and relegations to the Burundi Ligue B.

Djibouti

The Djibouti Premier League features ten teams, which all compete in order to avoid possible relegation down to the Djibouti Division 2 or to win the title. The league dates back to 1987.

Eritrea

Eritrea is not just a good answer on the TV quiz show Pointless but is also the home of the Eritrean Premier League, which has 12 teams that compete to win the title. It was founded in 1994 after the country gained independence, before which there were nine teams that played in the Ethiopian Premier League.

Ethiopia

Created in 1944, the Ethiopian Premier League has undergone numerous changes over the years. It was initially known as the First Division but was rebranded to take on its current name in 1997. The teams compete to try to avoid being relegated to the Ethiopian Higher League or to win the title. They play a double round-robin system for a total of 30 games.

Kenya

Formed in 1963, the Kenyan Premier League sits at the top of the Football League system in the country. It was originally controlled by the Kenya Football Federation but is now the remit of the Football Kenya Federation, which feels a little bit like being the People’s Front of Judea. There are 18 teams competing to win the title and avoid relegation into the National Super League. It is fair to say that it is not one of the most well-financed divisions in Africa.

Rwanda

In 1975 a top-flight football division was formed in Rwanda, becoming known as the Primus National Football League for a time. It was renamed to become the Premier League ahead of the 2015-2016 campaign and 16 teams play in it. There is a system of promotion and relegation in place with the Rwandan Second Division.

Somalia

A total of 12 teams take part in the Somali First Division, which dates back to 1967. Football itself began to be played in the country when it was introduced by the Italian Colonial Authorities, with some of the nation’s first teams having been formed then. Each team can only register four foreign players at a time as they go to try and win the title or avoid relegation into the Somali Second Division.

South Sudan

The top-flight in South Sudan is known as the Football Championship, breaking with a slight tradition in East and Central Africa of being called the Premier League. In fact, the South Sudan Premier League is a tier below this one, operating a system of promotion and relegation with it. There are 13 teams competing in the league, which was formed in 2011.

Sudan

There are 18 teams that compete in the Sudan Premier League, all hoping to win the title or, failing that, avoid relegation into the League of Local Associations. It took place for the first time in 1965 and nowadays runs from August until the end of May.

Tanzania

In 1921 a league was organised in Dar es Salaam, growing to have six teams playing in it by 1929. This extended to include 38 registered clubs by 1955 and ten years later became the National League. It was changed to the First Division Soccer League and then in 1997 took on its current moniker of the Tanzanian Premier League. It follows a typical double round-robin format of the 16 teams playing home and away, with the bottom two sides being relegated into the Championship, whilst the top team wins the title.

Uganda

A football league for Uganda was formed in 1968, copying the format of football in England with the hope of improving Uganda’s showings in the Africa Cup of Nations. It became known as the National Football League in 1974, then the Super League in 1982. The Premier League name was taken on ahead of the 2014-2015 campaign and nowadays it features 16 teams that play one another in order to win the championship or avoid relegation to the FUFA Big League.

Zanzibar

Operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Zanzibar Championship, the Zanzibar Premier League’s history can be traced back to 1981. Football itself in the country dates back to 1926, but it was in 1981 that it became official and records began being kept. There are 16 teams that take part in the division each year.

South Africa

Angola

Officially the Campeonato Nacional de Futebol de Séniores Masculinos but known as the Girabola for short, the top-flight of football in Angola and is the successor to the Campeonato do Estado Ultramarino de Angola. The official year of creation for the competition is 1979 as that is the first post-independence. It has undergone numerous changes over the years, with the championship having involved 16 teams since 2010. Teams that struggle run the risk of being relegated into the Segundona.

Botswana

The highest level of football played in Botswana is the Botswana Premier League, with 12 teams vying for superiority. Those that finish at the bottom might be relegated into either the Debswana First Division North or the Debswana First Division South. It was created in 1978 as a replacement for the Bechuanaland Union African Soccer League, which was in place prior to independence. There were 16 teams playing in it but that was reduced to 12 ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.

Comoros

Football in the Comoros sees the Premier League sitting at the top of the pile, with 30 teams competing in various regional tournaments before the top ones move into the final tournament. That looks to discover the country’s champions, with the poorer teams running the risk of being relegated into the Second Division. There has been some form of football played in the country since 1979.

Eswatini

Another one of those Pointless answers, Eswatini has had some form of football league in place since 1971. The plan was for it to become a fully professional outfit by 2022. Nowadays there are 14 teams that play in it.

Lesotho

Created in 1970, the top-flight football competition in Lesotho is known as the Lesotho Premier League. It is competed over by 16 clubs that play one another in a double round-robin format to mean that each side plays 30 games a season. It is still an amateur league, with clubs that struggle being relegated into the Lesotho A Division.

Madagascar

The top level of football in Madagascar is the PFL Championnat de Football National Division 1, which often has a different name because of sponsorship. The tournament in 2002 witnessed the world’s highest scoring football match when SO I’Emyrne were so incensed by a refereeing decision that they scored 149 own goals. The format sees the 12 teams play one another twice, with the team with the most points at the end of the season being crowned the Malagasy champions.

Malawi

The Super League of Malawi, which has had numerous other names because of sponsorship, was created in 1986 when it was made up of just eight teams. Nowadays there are 16 sides that play one another twice during a season that runs from April until December. The top side is crowned champions and the bottom three are relegated into numerous regional leagues.

Mauritius

Able to have its history traced back to 1935, the Mauritian Premier League is the top division in the country. There is a system of promotion and relegation in place with the National First Division. Ten teams compete for the title and to avoid going down.

Mozambique

Known as the Campeonato Moçambicano de Futebol in Portuguese, the Mozambican Football Championship in English and referred to as the Moçambola for ease, the top-flight in Mozambique was created in 1976 when the country gained independence from Portugal. The 12 teams that play in it go up against one another twice, at the end of which a champion is crowned and the bottom two teams are relegated into the Segunda Divisão. It runs from March or April until October.

Namibia

Although football has been played in Namibia since before 2020, there were financial and organisation issues with the Namibia Premier League that led to the Namibia Football Association expelling it and setting up a new top-flight league in 2020. As a result, there is no official history prior to that year, with the division hosting 16 teams that play one another during the season. The system of relegation and promotion that is in place is with the First Division.

Seychelles

Football in the Seychelles can be dated back to 1979 with the formation of the country’s top-flight. Nowadays there are 12 teams that compete in it, hoping to either win the title or avoid relegation into the Seychelles Championship League.

South Africa

In 1996 an agreement was reached between the National Soccer League and what was left of the National Professional Soccer League that led to the formation of the South African Premiership. The National Professional Soccer League still exists but is known as the Premier Soccer League for legal purposes, which is why the South African Premiership dates no further back than 1996. There are 16 teams that compete for the title, with those that perform the worst being relegated into the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Zambia

Created in 1962, the top-flight of football in Zambia is known as the Zambia Super League, with other names also being in place owing to sponsorship arrangements. There are 18 teams that compete each year, running from August until May. The bottom three teams are relegated down to the National League.

Zimbabwe

The top level of professional football in Zimbabwe is the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League, which was founded in 1980 as the replacement for the Rhodesia National Football League, which had been in place since 1962. There are 18 teams that play 34 matches each during the course of a season, with the worst four performing sides being relegated down to the Zimbabwean Division One.

Unassociated Nations

Réunion

The Réunion Premier League, which is also known by its French name of the Championnat de La Réunion de football, is the top-flight in Réunion. It is run by the Réunionese Football League, which itself comes under the auspices of the French Football Federation. Created in 1950, the league sees 14 teams compete with one another over the course of a season that typically runs from March until November. The club’s play each other twice for a total of 26 games each.

Mayotte

There is something quite confusing about the Régional 1 Mayotte, given the fact that it is the top-flight in Mayotte but is considered to be on the sixth level of French football. Organised by the Ligue de Football de Mayotte, it was founded in 1992 and has 12 teams that play in it. Those that don’t do well enough are relegated into the Régional 2.