Senegalese Ligue 1 Resumes After CHAN U20 Break
After a three-week hiatus to accommodate the 19th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) U20 tournament, Senegal’s top-tier football league returns this weekend, marking the beginning of the second half of the 2014–15 Ligue 1 season.
With 91 matches and 171 goals recorded in the first half of the season — an average of 1.87 goals per match, up from 1.71 last season — all eyes are now on whether the league’s momentum will continue through the final rounds, which will conclude over the weekend of July 18–19.
NGB Lead the Pack
Niarry Tally (NGB), who sit atop the table after the first round, will kick off the resumption with a highly anticipated clash against historic rivals Jaraaf at Demba Diop Stadium on Saturday. While NGB boasts the best attack in the league with 21 goals and just one defeat in 13 matches, they will face stiff competition from their runner-up US Ouakam (USO), title holders AS Pikine, and other challengers like Diambars and Casa Sports.
Strong Stats and Fierce Battles Ahead
USO and NGB share the highest number of wins so far, six apiece, while NGB have also conceded fewer defeats. In contrast, Port de Dakar currently languish at the bottom with the league’s weakest defense, having conceded 20 goals. At the other end of the spectrum, Mbour Petite Côte and Casa Sports have the tightest backlines, each conceding just nine goals.
Individually, Mamadou Niang (NGB) and Mouhamed Ndoye (Stade de Mbour) lead the scoring charts with six goals each. They are closely followed by Jaraaf’s captain Pape Ciré Dia, Mohamed Séne, and OL Ngor’s Mohamed Aly Diouf, who have four goals apiece.
Matchday 14 Fixtures
Saturday, March 28, 2015:
Jaraaf vs NGB – Demba Diop Stadium
Diambars vs Stade de Mbour – Fodé Wade Stadium, Saly
Casa Sports vs Suneor – Aline Sitoe Diatta Stadium, Ziguinchor
Sunday, March 29, 2015:
US Ouakam vs Port – Demba Diop Stadium
OL Ngor vs AS Pikine – Demba Diop Stadium
Linguère vs GFC – Mawade Wade Stadium
Mbour Petite Côte vs AS Douanes – Caroline Faye Stadium, Mbour
The second half of the season promises to be a thrilling run-in, with both the title race and the relegation battle still wide open.
