TP Mazembe crowned DR Congo champions after league cancellation

Tout Puissant Mazembe have won their 18th Democratic Republic of the Congo league title following the cancellation of the 2019-20 season by the Congolese Federation of Football Association (Fecofa).

The country’s football governing body had reached this decision on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread around the world.

As a result, the Ravens have won the league title as they led the log before the top-flight was suspended and will be representing the country in next year’s Caf Champions League alongside runners-up AS Vita Club.

Meanwhile, AS Maniema will be participating in the Caf Confederation Cup as OC Bukavu Dava and AS Nyuki will begin life in Division Two next season

“The executive committee of the Congolese Federation of Football Association met this Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at Africana Palace to decide on the 2019 - 2020 sports season interrupted because of the health crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic,” a statement from Fecofa read.

“At the end of the meeting, the federation led by Constant Omari Selemani decided to stop championships and competitions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The decision was declared to the press by the Deputy Secretary General, Belgian Situatala.

“The deputy secretary general of fecofa said that the members of the executive committee of the federation have approved the classification of the championship of the National football league transmitted by the management committee of this entity. 

"TP Mazembe is crowned champion of the season, sporting 2019 - 2020, with 53 points. He is followed by AS V.Club (48 points), AS Maniema Union (46 points), DC Motema Pembe (42 points) and JS Groupe Bazano (38 points) for the first five places.

“The last two teams in the standings, OC Bukavu Dawa from Bukavu and AS Nyuki from Butembo, have been relegated to Division 2. They will be replaced by the two champions from two Ligue 2 sites, the JSK from Kinshasa for the West site and Etoile Yellow from Katanga for the South Center.

“No relegation or rise for the clubs of the East site following the insufficient number of matches played. Only TS Malekesa of Kisangani played 12 games and the other teams did not even finish the first leg, according to the Belgian SGA Situatala.”

With this decision, the DRC joins the likes of Cameroon, Mauritius, Guinea, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso as countries to have abandoned their football season.