The professional football championship in Togo is scheduled to begin on 22 November 2026, offering a clearer timetable for a competition whose launch has been delayed and postponed several times.
The provisional date was announced on Saturday by Me Tete Wilson-Bahun, president of the Ligue de Football Professionnel du Togo, during an appearance on the programme Samedi Sport on Radio Sport FM.
If the plan goes ahead, the date will mark the effective start of the 2026-27 season. The move to professional football has been anticipated for several years, but previous announcements had not resulted in the competition getting under way.
The latest statement therefore provides the clearest indication yet of when Togo’s professional championship could begin. However, the date remains provisional, with football stakeholders in the country now hoping the proposed timetable will be maintained.
Stadium work planned
Questions surrounding the availability of suitable venues remain an important part of the preparations. Me Tete Wilson-Bahun said improvement work would be carried out at the municipal stadiums in Lome, Atakpame, Sokode and Kara.
The planned arrangements are intended to ensure the stadiums can host the demands of the professional competition. In particular, each venue will need to be capable of staging at least two matches during a matchday.
The facilities will also have to support matches played at night. That requirement means the preparation of the stadiums is central to the planned launch, alongside the formal organisation of the championship itself.
The announcement comes after years of waiting among those involved in national football. The transition to professionalism has been expected by the game’s stakeholders, who are now looking for the 22 November date to be respected.
The proposed start would establish the 2026-27 campaign as the first effective season of the professional championship, provided the necessary stadium work and other preparations are completed in line with the plan outlined by the league president.
For now, the announcement gives the competition a target date and identifies the four municipal stadiums where development work is expected. The next stage will be to ensure those venues can accommodate the required number of fixtures, including evening games, before the championship is due to begin.
