The 2016 Cape Verdean Football Championship season was the 37th beginner level (likely amateur) competition of the first-tier football in Cape Verde. It started on 14 May and finished on 9 July, it started five days later than last season and finished two days earlier, the season was a week shorter than last. The championship was governed by the Cape Verdean Football Federation. The scheduling was completed on November 16 and the group system was kept instead of becoming a one portion season without playoffs and was the last time. CS Mindelense won the record breaking title and became the second club after Sporting Praia to win four in a row, the highest ever, also it was Mindelense's last. Mindelense chose to not participate in the CAF Champions League competition in 2017, Académica do Porto Novo did not participate in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup, both of the clubs due to financial concerns, of any club, it is the eighth consecutive time and becomes the recent African nation not to bring a champion to the continentals for the most consecutive years, in the cup competition, Cape Verde is the longest for not bringing a club in Africa lasting for more than 15 years straight, not even the three national cup winners competed. Mindelense qualified and participated in the 2017 National Championships.
Overview The triangular phase started to be used for the 2017 season, it became the fourth time and first with four clubs each and with playoffs.
CS Mindelense was the defending team of the title. A total of 12 clubs participated in the competition, one from each island league and one who won the last season's title. The finals had two matches, Académica scored the first and Mindelense score the second leg, each with a goal, the second match went into extra time and again went into the penalty shootout, this was the first time that the season had the finals with two consecutive penalty shootouts, Mindelense won the shootout by four and claimed the recent national title.
Six clubs returned again, Desportivo da Praia returned in three years, Sport Sal Rei Club returned in five years and Vulcânicos returned in several years, Sinagoga of Santo Antão and Varandinha of Tarrafal de Santiago, two clubs competed for the first time. Varandinha's appearance was the first from the Santiago North Zone into the semifinals. At the finals, it was the sixth time that the two clubs were from Barlavento known as the Battle of Barlavento.
The biggest win was Mindelense, who scored 5-2 over Sal Rei from Boa Vista, the rest of the matches had a maximum of three goals in some of its matches as it was a low scoring season, one fifth approximately of last season, though overall are ranked third, the second highest match was Varandinha - Mindelense who Mindelense won 1-4. In Group A, neither club scored ten goals while only Mindelense from Group B scored eleven, the second club in the group scored eight and was fifth placed Sal Rei. Vulcânicos scored the fewest with two goals. Overall, Mindelense scored 16 goals, Derby and Varandinha second with ten goals and Académica Porto Novo and Sal Rei fourth with eight goals.
One match, Desportivo Praia and Varandinha originally for mid-May, on May 13, it was rescheduled to June 1, the main reason that on an April 3 match (19th round) featuring Desportivo Santa Cruz and Scorpion Vermelho that Desportivo fielded an ineligible player, it occurred after the goals were scored and the award to Scorpion Vermelho in mid-May was revoked and the 2-0 result was kept along with Varandinha first championship title. The next such delay was in 2017.
Participating clubs
CS Mindelense, winner of the 2015 Cape Verdean Football Championships Sport Sal Rei Club, winner of the Boa Vista Island League Sporting Clube da Brava, winner of the Brava Island League Vulcânicos, winner of the Fogo Island League Académico 83, winner of the Maio Island League Académico do Aeroporto, winner of the Sal Island League Varandinha, winner of the Santiago Island League (North) Desportivo da Praia, winner of the Santiago Island League (South) Clube Desportivo Sinagoga, winner of the Santo Antão Island League (North) Académica do Porto Novo, winner of the Santo Antão Island League (South) SC Atlético, winner of the São Nicolau Island League FC Derby, runner up of the São Vicente Island League
Information about the clubs Club Location VenueCapacityAcadémico 83Vila do Maio20 de Janeiro4,000Porto NovoPorto Novo8,000Académico do AeroportoEspargosMarcelo Leitão8,000Ribeira BravaOrlando Rodrígues5,000Desportivo da PraiaPraiaVárzea12,000MindeloAdérito Sena5,000MindelenseMindeloAdérito Sena5,000SinagogaJoão Serra2,000Sal ReiArsénio Ramos500Sporting Clube da BravaNova SintraAquiles d'Oliveira500TarrafalMangueVulcânicosSão Filipe5 de Julho1,000 Italics indicates a team playing in a stadium in a different town or city.
League standings Group A PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1FC Derby541082+6132GD Varandinha531194+5103Desportivo da Praia521276+174Sporting Clube da Brava520367-165SC Atlético5113510-546CD Sinagoga5023410-62
Group B PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1CS Mindelense (C)5320113+8112Académica do Porto Novo532061+5113Académico do Aeroporto521244074Académico 83512258-355Sport Sal Rei Club5113811-346Vulcânicos510429-73
Results Week 1HomeScoreVisitorDateSinagoga2 - 3Sporting Brava15 MayDerby3 - 1SC Atletico15 MayDesportivo Praia1 - 3Varadinha1 JuneAcadémico Aeroporto3 - 0Academico 8314 MaySal Rei3 - 0Vulcânicos14 MayMindelense1 - 1Académica do Porto Novo14 May Week 2HomeScoreVisitorDateSinagoga0 - 0Desportivo Praia21 MayVaradinha0 - 0Derby21 MaySC Atletico1 - 0Sporting Brava21 MayAcadémico Aeroporto1 - 0Sal Rei21 MayVulcânicos0 - 3Mindelense22 MayAcadémica do Porto Novo2 - 0Academico 8322 May Week 3HomeScoreVisitorDateVaradinha3 - 0Sinagoga28 MayDesportivo Praia3 - 0SC Atletico28 MaySporting Brava0 - 1Derby29 MayVulcânicos2 - 0Académico Aeroporto28 MaySal Rei0 - 2Académica do Porto Novo28 MayAcademico 830 - 0Mindelense28 May Week 4HomeScoreVisitorDateSC Atletico2 - 2Sinagoga4 JuneSporting Brava2 - 1Varadinha5 JuneDerby2 - 1Desportivo Praia5 JuneAcademico 832 - 0Vulcânicos4 JuneMindelense5 - 2Sal Rei4 JuneAcadémica do Porto Novo0 - 0Académico Aeroporto5 June Week 5HomeScoreVisitorDateSinagoga0 - 2Derby11 JuneDesportivo Praia2 - 1Sporting Brava11 JuneVaradinha2 - 1SC Atletico11 JuneAcadémico Aeroporto0 - 2Mindelense12 JuneVulcânicos0 - 1Académica do Porto Novo12 JuneSal Rei3 - 3Academico 8312 June
Final stages
Semi-finals
Finals
Cape Verdean Football 2016ChampionsCS Mindelense12th title
Statistics Highest scoring match: Mindelense 5-2 Sport Sal Rei Clube 4 June
See also 2015–16 in Cape Verdean football
References
External links
2016 Cape Verdean Football Championships at RSSSF