The Gabonese National Division one football championship, will return to action later this month for the 2022-2023 season. This as announced by the president of the National League, Brice Mbika Ndjambou.
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Gabon’s top tier championship has been on break since July 31, when ASO Stade Mandji defeated Union Sportive of Bitam to emerge champions.
The National League of football (Linaf), through its president Brice Mbika Ndjambou, announced on Wednesday October 05, during a meeting with Division one clubs, that the 2022-2023 campaign will kickoff on October 29, putting an end to a three months break.
The Country’s minister for Youths and Sports, Franck Nguema, had promised in July, when ASO Stade Mandji were crowned champions that the league will resume as soon as possible, so as to permit a smooth season.
The 2022-2023 campaign is expected to end in June, with a truce in November, the date for the kick-off of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The new developments from Wednesday’s meeting, is that the championship will return to it all round format, to permit all the 14 teams taking part in the championship face each other home and away, instead of the two groups and playoffs format of the past three seasons.
Brice Mbika Ndjambou assured the clubs that everything will be put in place before the start of the championship, as the State through the Ministry of Sports, is expected to subsidize part of the expenses for the clubs.
ASO Stade Mandji who won the league last term, have been butted out of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League in the first preliminary round, by Nigeria’s Plateau United.
Source: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)