The Ivorian Professional Football League has announced the postponement of matchdays 6 and 7 of Ligue 1 Lonaci, originally scheduled from 9 to 17 November 2026, due to the international break. SOA, top after five matchdays, will have to wait before defending their place.
The Professional Football League (LFP) of Ivory Coast has officially confirmed the postponement of matchdays 6 and 7 of Ligue 1 Lonaci. In a statement signed by its president, Salif Bictogo, and dated Thursday 5 November 2026, the body says the matches, scheduled from 9 to 17 November 2026, will not be played on those dates. The news was reported by sport-ivoire.ci and ami-sportif.com.
The decision is linked to the FIFA international break, which calls up several players from the league with their national teams for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The Ligue 1 Lonaci calendar is therefore suspended during this period.
SOA out in front bide their time
After five matchdays, SOA sit top of the Ligue 1 Lonaci table. The postponement suspends the competition for every club, SOA included, and the standings therefore remain frozen until the fixtures are rescheduled.
For the league leaders, the pause interrupts their early-season momentum. Their rivals are in the same boat: all are waiting for the championship to resume to settle the score.
A calendar still to be confirmed
The new dates for matchdays 6 and 7 are yet to be announced. The LFP has not communicated a replacement calendar at this stage, and clubs and supporters alike will have to wait for a new announcement from the body to know the exact programme.
These two matchdays will have to be fitted into the rest of the season, with the date they will be played still unknown.
AFCON 2027 in sight
The November 2026 international break is linked to the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Ligue 1 Lonaci players called up by their national teams will therefore be away during this period, which led the LFP to postpone the matches.
The next expected update is the LFP’s announcement of the new dates for matchdays 6 and 7 of Ligue 1 Lonaci.