- Niger Premier League
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Niger Premier League Countries Niger Confederation CAF Founded 1966 Number of teams 20 Levels on pyramid 1 Domestic cup(s) Niger Cup International cup(s) Champions League
Confederation CupCurrent champions ASGNN
(2011)Most championships Sahel SC (12) The Niger Premier League (fr. Championnat National de Première Division or Championnat D1) is the highest division in football in Niger. The league's first year of operation was 1966.
Contents
Structure
Although the Premier League Championship has been contested since 1966, the structure has changed over time, and a number of years the competition has been canceled or shortened. Most recently the Championship was canceled completely in 2002, and 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.[1]
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 playoff 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.[2] 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 Fenifoot canceled the season due to funding shortfalls.[3]
In 2008 there were 20 clubs entered, broken down into four groups (Groupe A, B, C, D) of five. The top two teams from each group go on to the Super League, while the bottom club in each group goes into a Relegation Playoff, in which two clubs are relegated. The first stages were played in ten rounds March-June, the Relegation playoff in three rounds in July, and the Super league in seven rounds in July to August.
The Niger Cup, as well as a number of invitational and regional trophies, are played simultaneously.
From 2010 the league will be broken down to two groups of ten .
Niger Premier League - Clubs 2010/11
- Ader FC (Tahoua)
- Akokana FC d'Arlit (Arlit)
- Alkali Nassara (Zinder)
- AS Douanes (Niamey)
- AS NIGELEC (Niamey)
- AS Police (Niamey)
- ASFAN (Niamey)
- ASGNN1 (Niamey)
- Dan Kassawa FC (Maradi)
- Jangorzo FC (Maradi)
- Malbaza FC2 (Malbaza)
- Olympic FC (Niamey)
- Racing FC (Niamey)
- Sahel SC (Niamey)
- Urana FC (Arlit)
- USGN (Niamey)
- 1 AS-FNIS were renamed AS GNN (Gendarmerie Nationale Nigérienne)
- 2 Excluded or withdrew after playing 14 matches
Previous champions
- 1966 : Secteur 6 (Niamey)
- 1967 : Secteur 6 (Niamey)
- 1968 : Secteur 6 (Niamey)
- 1969 : Secteur 6 (Niamey)
- 1970 : Secteur 6 (Niamey)
- 1971 : ASFAN (Niamey)
- 1972 : no championship
- 1973 : Secteur 7 (Niamey)
- 1974 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1975 : ASFAN (Niamey)
- 1976 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 1977 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 1978 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 1979 : no championship
- 1980 : AS Niamey (Niamey)
- 1981 : AS Niamey (Niamey)
- 1982 : AS Niamey (Niamey)
- 1983 : Jangorzo FC (Maradi)
- 1984 : Espoir FC (Zinder)
- 1985 : Zumunta AC (Niamey)
- 1986 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1987 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1988 : Zumunta AC (Niamey)
- 1989 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 1990 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1991 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1992 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1993 : Zumunta AC (Niamey)
- 1994 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1995 : no championship
- 1996 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 1997/98 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 1999 : Olympic FC (Niamey)
- 2000 : JS du Ténéré (Niamey)
- 2001 : JS du Ténéré (Niamey)
- 2002 : no championship
- 2003 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 2004 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 2004/05 : AS-FNIS (Niamey)
- 2005/06 : AS-FNIS (Niamey)
- 2006/07 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 2008 : AS Police (Niamey)
- 2009 : Sahel SC (Niamey)
- 2010 : ASFAN (Niamey)
- 2011 : ASGNN (Niamey)
Performance by club
Club City Titles Last Title Sahel SC [includes Secteur 7] Niamey 13 2009 Olympic FC [includes Secteur 6] Niamey 11 1999 AS Niamey Niamey 3 1982 Zumunta AC Niamey 3 1993 ASFAN Niamey 3 2010 AS-FNIS/ASGNN Niamey 3 2011 JS du Ténéré Niamey 2 2001 Jangorzo FC Maradi 1 1983 Espoir FC Zinder 1 1984 AS Police Niamey 1 2008 References
- ^ RSSSF 2004 season review For instance, one match was abandoned and BOTH clubs were assigned 0-3 losses.
- ^ RSSSF Championships
- ^ RSSSF 2001, RSSSF 2002
- Rec Sports Soccer Foundation: Niger 2008: Championnat national de première division.
- UEMOA Cup, Niger qualifying page, 2008.
External links
Fédération Nigerienne de Football National teams MenWomenNational team · Olympic (U-23) · U-20 · U-17League system MenNiger Premier LeagueDomestic cups MenAwards Footballer of the Year · Top scorersLists All-time Table · Champions · Clubs · International footballers · Foreign players · VenuesMen's clubs · Women's clubs · Men's players · Women's players · Expatriate players · Managers · Referees · Venues · Seasons · Records Top level football leagues of Africa (CAF) Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · DR Congo · RO Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Ivory Coast · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mayotte† · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Réunion Island† · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zanzibar† · Zimbabwe† Associated members Categories:- Football competitions in Niger
- National association football premier leagues
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