# Super Ligue (Niger)

The Super Ligue, formerly known as Ligue 1, is the top division of football in Niger. There are 14 teams competing in the league, which operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Ligue Nationale.
The league began in 1966, with Secteur 6 winning the first five championships. It was known as the Ligue 1 between 2010 and 2018, when it changed its name to Super Ligue.

## History

Although the championship has been contested since 1966, the structure has changed over time, and a number of years the competition has been canceled or shortened. In 2002, the league was completely cancelled.
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.
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 play-off 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. 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 the Nigerien Football Federation cancelled the season due to funding shortfalls.

## 2021−22 Super Ligue teams

| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Akokana FC | Arlit | Stade d'Arlit | 7,000 |
| AS Douanes | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| AS Forces Armées | Niamey | Stade du Camp Bagagi Iya | 5,000 |
| AS GNN | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| AS Police | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| AS SONIDEP | Niamey | Stade municipal de Niamey | 5,000 |
| ASN Nigelec | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| Espoir FC | Zinder | Stade de Zinder | 10,000 |
| JS Tahoua | Tahoua | Stade Régional de Tahoua | 5,000 |
| Olympic Niamey | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| RC Boukoki | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| Sahel SC | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |
| Urana FC | Arlit | Stade d'Arlit | 7,000 |
| US Gendarmerie Nationale | Niamey | Stade Général Seyni Kountché | 50,000 |

## Standings 2023-24

The final 2023-24 Super Ligue standings:
| # | Football club | Pts | Extra |
| 1 | AS GNN | 73 | Champions |
| 2 | AS FAN | 70 | |
| 3 | ASN NIGELEC | 61 | |
| 4 | AS Douanes | 54 | |
| 5 | US GN | 50 | |
| 6 | Sahel SC | 45 | |
| 7 | AS Police | 42 | |
| 8 | Urana FC | 39 | |
| 9 | Jangorzo FC | 37 | |
| 10 | AS Renaissance | 36 | |
| 11 | Olympic FC | 35 | |
| 12 | Espoir FC | 33 | |
| 13 | JS Tahoua | 33 | |
| 14 | Liberté FC | 31 | |
| 15 | Zumunta AC | 30 | Relegated |
| 16 | Tagour PC | 29 | Relegated |
| 17 | Akokana FC | 24 | Relegated |

## Previous champions

| Years | Champions |
| 1966 | Olympic (1) |
| 1967 | Olympic (2) |
| 1968 | Olympic (3) |
| 1969 | Olympic (4) |
| 1970 | Olympic (5) |
| 1971 | AS FAN (1) |
| 1972 | Not held |
| 1973 | Sahel SC (1) |
| 1974 | Sahel SC (2) |
| 1975 | AS FAN (2) |
| 1976 | Olympic (6) |
| 1977 | Olympic (7) |
| 1978 | Olympic (8) |
| 1979 | Not held |
| 1980 | AS Niamey (1) |
| 1981 | AS Niamey (2) |
| 1982 | AS Niamey (3) |
| 1983 | Jangorzo (1) |
| 1984 | Espoir (1) |
| 1985 | Zumunta AC (1) |
| 1986 | Sahel SC (3) |
| 1987 | Sahel SC (4) |
| 1988 | Zumunta AC (2) |
| 1989 | Olympic (9) |
| 1990 | Sahel SC (5) |
| 1991 | Sahel SC (6) |
| 1992 | Sahel SC (7) |
| 1993 | Zumunta AC (3) |
| 1994 | Sahel SC (8) |
| 1995 | Not held |
| 1996 | Sahel SC (9) |
| 1997–98 | Olympic (10) |
| 1999 | Olympic (11) |
| 2000 | JS Ténéré (1) |
| 2001 | JS Ténéré (2) |
| 2002 | Not held |
| 2003 | Sahel SC (10) |
| 2004 | Sahel SC (11) |
| 2005 | AS GNN (1) |
| 2006 | AS GNN (2) |
| 2007 | Sahel SC (12) |
| 2008 | AS Police (1) |
| 2009 | Sahel SC (13) |
| 2010 | AS FAN (3) |
| 2010–11 | AS GNN (3) |
| 2011–12 | Olympic (12) |
| 2012–13 | Douanes (1) |
| 2013–14 | AS GNN (4) |
| 2014–15 | Douanes (2) |
| 2015–16 | AS FAN (4) |
| 2016–17 | AS FAN (5) |
| 2017–18 | AS SONIDEP (1) |
| 2018–19 | AS SONIDEP (2) |
| Not held in 2019-2020 due to Covid-19 ||
| 2020–21 | US Gendarmerie Nationale (1) |
| 2021–22 | ASN Nigelec FC (1) |
| 2022–23 | AS GNN (5) |
| 2023–24 | AS GNN (6) |

## Performance by club

| Club | Titles | Winning seasons |
| Sahel SC | 13 | 1973, 1974, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006–07, 2009 |
| Olympic FC | 12 | 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1997–98, 1999, 2011–12 |
| ASGNN | 6 | 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| AS FAN | 5 | 1971, 1975, 2010, 2015–16, 2016–17 |
| AS Niamey | 3 | 1980, 1981, 1982 |
| Zumunta AC | 3 | 1985, 1988, 1993 |
| AS Douanes | 2 | 2012–13, 2014–15 |
| AS SONIDEP | 2 | 2017–18, 2018–19 |
| JS du Ténéré | 2 | 2000, 2001 |
| Espoir FC | 1 | 1984 |
| Jangorzo FC | 1 | 1983 |
| AS Police | 1 | 2008 |
| US Gendarmerie Nationale | 1 | 2020–21 |
| ASN Nigelec | 1 | 2021–22 |

## Top goalscorers

| Season | Player | Team | Goals |
| 2023-24 | Victorien Adebayor | GNN | 22 |

### Multiple hat-tricks

| Rank | Country | Player | Hat-tricks |
| 1 | | Victorien Adebayor | 1 |