IFFHS names Africa’s strongest leagues in 2025

Mahmoud Trézéguet of Al Ahly celebrates goal during the Nile Egyptian League 2025/26 match between Al Ahly and Zamalek at Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt on 29 September 2025 ©Weam Mostafa/BackpagePix

by
Staff Reporter

Monday Jan 26, 2026. 15:00

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics has released its ranking of the top 10 leagues in Africa.

The organisation announces its list yearly, with only one change to its top five from 2024 for its ranking of CAF affiliated leagues.

Egypt remains on top, with the nation’s Premier League retaining first place. Morocco’s Botola Pro also remains in second, the same as last year, while South Africa’s Betway Premiership has broken into the top five, claiming third place.

South Africa’s rise up the ranks comes as no surprise, with two teams from the country’s domestic league reaching the 2024/25 CAF Champions League semi-finals. Mamelodi Sundowns would go on to lose the final to Egypt’s Pyramids FC. In addition, Stellenbosch of the Betway Premiership reached the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup in the club’s first taste of continental football.

Rounding out the top five are Algeria’s Ligue Professionnelle 1 and Tunisia’s Ligue Professionnelle 1.

Tanzania’s NBC Premier League fell from fourth in last season’s rankings to sixth, making way for the Betway Premiership.

DR Congo, Mali, Angola and Ivory Coast round out the IFFHS’s top 10.

Compared to international competition, four African leagues have been placed in the top 50 of the IFFHS’ list of the world’s top 100 leagues. The Egyptian Premier League ranks 16th, followed by the Botola Pro in 39th, the Betway Premiership in 45th and Algeria’s Ligue Professionnelle 1 in 46th.

IFFHS’ ranking of the top African leagues for 2025:

1. Egypt – Nile League

2. Morocco – Botola Pro

3. South Africa – Betway Premiership

4. Algeria – Ligue Professionnelle 1

5. Tunisia – Ligue Professionnelle 1

6. Tanzania – NBC Premier League

7. DR Congo – Linafoot Ligue 1

8. Mali – Ligue 1 Orange

9. Angola – Girabola

10. Ivory Coast – Ligue 1 Lonaci

By Nic Gleeson