Ivory Coast football season delayed, Tunisia to redo league draw

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced that the start of the 2026‑27 Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will be postponed. The championships, originally slated for late August (Ligue 1) and mid‑September (Ligue 2), will now begin on 25‑27 September 2026. The federation did not give a specific reason, though sources say some clubs asked for a delay to await the outcome of the FIF’s upcoming election process. Several clubs, including ASEC Mimosas and FC San Pedro, have already resumed training for the new schedule.

In Tunisia, the Ligue Nationale de Football Professionnel (LNFP) is considering a new draw for the 2026‑27 Ligue 1 calendar after a material error was discovered during the original draw. The mistake did not affect the results or the order of matches, but the league’s board will meet on Friday to decide whether to repeat the draw to preserve transparency. The initial schedule had slated a season‑opening classic between Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Étoile Sportive du Sahel for 22‑23 August.