The PFL Championnat de Football National Division 1, known as the Coca-Cola Pureplay Football League for sponsorship reasons, is the premier
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
league in
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. Prior to 2019, it was known as the
Three Horses Beer-sponsored THB Champions League and then the
Orange Pro League.
In 2024, it was rebranded as the ''Coca-Cola Pureplay Football League'', again for sponsorship reasons.
The
highest-scoring football match in history occurred in Madagascar in 2002 when SO I’Emyrne scored 149
own goal
An own goal occurs in sports when a player performs actions that result in scoring points for the opposition, such as when a Association football, footballer puts a ball into their own net.
In some parts of the world, the term has become a met ...
s in protest of a refereeing decision.
Format
1962-2019:
The competition is played in a
round-robin format between the 24 qualifying clubs from the 22 regional leagues in the country. In the first round, the teams are divided into four groups of six teams, with each team playing the others once, and with the top three clubs of each group advancing to the next round. In the second round, the teams are divided into two groups of six teams, with each team playing the others once, and with the top two clubs of each group advancing to the final round. In the final round, called the ''Groupe des As'', the four teams play each other twice and the winner is crowned as the champion.
Late 2019-present:
In October 2019, the competition evolved to be a more professional league comprising 12 teams. Each team square off against each other twice (1 home match and 1 away) during the course of the season. The team having the most points at the end of the season becomes Malagasy champions.
From December 2019, the competition became known as Orange Pro League Madagascar due to sponsorship reasons.
Current clubs (season 2022/2023)
Northern Group
*
Fosa Juniors FC (
Mahajanga
Mahajangā (French: Majunga) is a city and an administrative district on the northwest coast of Madagascar. The city of Mahajanga (Mahajanga I) is the capital of the Boeny Region. The district (identical to the city) had a population of 258,068 ...
)
*
COSFA (
Antananarivo
Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
)
*
AS Fanalamanga (
Alaotra-Mangoro
Alaotra-Mangoro is a region in eastern Madagascar. It borders Sofia Region in north, Analanjirofo in northeast, Atsinanana in east, Vakinankaratra in southwest, Analamanga in west and Betsiboka in northwest. The capital of the region is Amba ...
)
*
AJESAIA (
Itaosy)
*
USCA Foot (
Antananarivo
Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
)
*
TFFC (
Tsaramandroso)
*
Tia Kitra FC (
Toamasina
Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French language, French Tamatave or in the past as Port aux prunes, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief ...
)
*
ASA -Association Sportive d'Ambondrona (
Diana)
Southern Group
*
CFFA (
Andoharanofotsy)
*
ASSM Elgeco Plus (
Analamanga
Analamanga is a region in central Madagascar, containing the capital Antananarivo and its surrounding metropolitan area. The region has an area of , and had a population of 4,325,226 in 2018.
Administrative divisions
Analamanga Region is divided i ...
)
*
Mama FCA (
Ilakaka)
*
Disciples FC (
Antsirabe
Antsirabe () also known as Ville d'eau is the list of cities in Madagascar, third largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014.
In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively ...
)
*
Zanakala FC (
Fianarantsoa
Fianarantsoa is a city (commune urbaine) in south central Madagascar, and is the capital of Haute Matsiatra Region.
History
It was built in the early 19th century by the Merina as the administrative capital for the newly conquered Betsileo kin ...
)
*
JET Kintana (
Antananarivo
Antananarivo (Malagasy language, Malagasy: ; French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known ...
)
*
DATO FC (
Farafangana)
*
3FB Toliara (
Toliara
Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in southern Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of the national capital Antananarivo.
The current spelling of the name ...
)
2024 edition (Pureplay Football league)
1/2 finals, 1st round:
PFL demi finale
/ref>
* ASSM Elgeco Plus vs. 3FB Toliara 1 : 0
* Zanakala FC vs. Disciples FC 3 : 2
Finals
* Disciples FC : ASSM Elgeco Plus 0:0 (1:0 prolongation)
Previous winners
Performance by club
Top goalscorers
References
External links
Pro-League Madagascar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thb Champions League
Football leagues in Madagascar
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...