The 2017 LINAFOOT was supposed to be the 2nd season of the LINAFOOT, the top Chadian league for association football clubs since its establishment in 2015. Gazelle as 2015 season winners, were the defending champions, since 2016 season was interrupted due financial difficulties. The season started on 7 May 2017.[1]
Events
Following financial difficulties and the lack of sponsors, FTFA decided to implement the new format of the national championship, which would lower the costs. In 2017 FIFA proposed to FTFA a new championship format, which FTFA accepted. The new formula of the national football championship took place in two phases. The first phase, called a zonal phase, consistsed of three zones. Zone 1 consisted of six clubs from N'Djamena (RFC, Gazelle, Tourbillon, Elect-Sport, Foullah Ediffice and Ascot),[2] Zone 2 consisted of the clubs from Sarh, Koumra, Doba, Moundou, Pala and Bongor, Zone 3 included the clubs of Moussoro, Ati, Biltine, Mongo, Salamat and Abéché. At the end of the zonal confrontations, three clubs in Zone 2 and Zone 3 have joined the 4 qualifiers in Zone 1 for the second phase of the championship.[3] The 5th and 6th of the final ranking should have been officially relegated to lower division. Matches were usually being played at 4 p.m. local time. Zone 1 playoff matches were being played on 3 stadiums: Stade d'Académie de Farcha, Stade Omnisports Idriss Mahamat Ouya and Stade de Paris-Congo.[4]
