Girabola is a men’s football league in Angola, established in 1979, with recorded coverage from 2012 through 2025. Use this competition page to follow live scores, fixtures, results, standings and player and team statistics across available seasons, all in one place.
Upcoming matches, Girabola
Regular Season - 4
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- Regular Season - 4
Bravos do Maquis FC
Kabuscorp -
- Regular Season - 4São Salvador
Petro de Luanda
Regular Season - 5
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- Regular Season - 5
1º de Agosto
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- Regular Season - 5São Salvador
Sporting de Cabinda
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- Regular Season - 5
Recreativo da Caála
Bravos do Maquis FC
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- Regular Season - 5
1º de Maio
CD Lunda-Sul
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- Regular Season - 5Kabuscorp
Interclube
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- Regular Season - 5
Sagrada Esperança
Petro de Luanda
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- Regular Season - 5
Desportivo Huíla
Académica do Lobito
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- Regular Season - 5
Wiliete
Recreativo do Libolo
Latest played matches, Girabola
Regular Season - 4
Regular Season - 3
Girabola Standings
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Wiliete | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 12 | WWWW |
| 2 |
|
1º de Agosto | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | DWWW |
| 3 |
|
Interclube | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 | WLWW |
| 4 |
|
Petro de Luanda | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 7 | WWD |
| 5 |
|
Bravos do Maquis FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | LWW |
| 6 |
|
Desportivo Huíla | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | WLWL |
| 7 |
|
Recreativo do Libolo | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | WLLW |
| 8 |
|
CD Lunda-Sul | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | WLDD |
| 9 |
|
1º de Maio | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | LWLD |
| 10 |
|
Recreativo da Caála | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 | LWLD |
| 11 | FC Luanda | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 4 | LWLD | |
| 12 |
|
Sagrada Esperança | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 | LWL |
| 13 | São Salvador | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 | WLL | |
| 14 | Kabuscorp | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | DD | |
| 15 |
|
Sporting de Cabinda | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 1 | DLLL |
| 16 |
|
Académica do Lobito | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0 | LLLL |
Girabola Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
Girabola teams participation since 2012
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| 1º de Agosto | 14 |
| Interclube | 14 |
| Petro de Luanda | 14 |
| Recreativo do Libolo | 14 |
| Sagrada Esperança | 14 |
| Desportivo Huíla | 13 |
| Bravos do Maquis FC | 13 |
| Académica do Lobito | 11 |
| Kabuscorp | 11 |
| Progresso | 10 |
| Recreativo da Caála | 10 |
| Sporting de Cabinda | 9 |
| 1º de Maio | 7 |
| ASA | 7 |
| Santa Rita | 7 |
| Wiliete | 7 |
| Cuando Cubango | 6 |
| Benfica Luanda | 5 |
| CD Lunda-Sul | 5 |
| Progresso Lunda Sul | 3 |
| Isaac de Benguela | 3 |
| São Salvador | 3 |
| Ferroviário do Huambo | 2 |
| Desportivo JGM | 2 |
| Domant | 2 |
| Porcelana | 2 |
| Atlético do Namibe | 2 |
| Sporting de Benguela | 2 |
| Luanda City | 2 |
| Benfica Lubango | 1 |
| Saurimo | 1 |
| União SC | 1 |
| Académica do Soyo | 1 |
| Nacional de Benguela | 1 |
| Baixa de Kassange | 1 |
| Dragão | 1 |
| União de Malanje | 1 |
| Carmona | 1 |
| Guelson FC | 1 |
| Redonda FC | 1 |
Girabola top scorer teams
Girabola About
Girabola is Angola’s top men’s professional football league, the highest level of the national football pyramid and a single-table championship for clubs from across the country. From 2026, its official commercial designation is Liga Unitel-Girabola, following a naming-rights partnership with UNITEL. The competition determines Angola’s national champion and provides the country’s principal route into continental club football.
Identity and historical importance
Established in 1979 after Angola’s independence, the Girabola became the country’s leading national football competition. Its creation gave Angolan clubs a shared stage beyond regional and provincial contests, helping establish a national sporting identity through regular competition between the strongest teams in the country.
The name has an important cultural history. “Girabola”, commonly explained as meaning “spin ball”, was coined in 1972 by radio broadcaster Rui Carvalho. It distinguished the local championship from competitions associated with the Portuguese colonial era and subsequently became one of the most recognisable names in Angolan sport. The official competition title has changed over time, but Girabola remains the established name used by supporters and football followers.
Petro de Luanda, also known as Atlético Petróleos de Luanda or Petro Atlético, and C.D. Primeiro de Agosto are among the most successful and historically significant clubs in the competition. Primeiro de Agosto won the inaugural edition in 1979, while Petro de Luanda holds the record for the most league titles.
Governance, access and the league structure
The Angolan Football Federation (FAF) organises and regulates the league, overseeing its competition rules, scheduling, disciplinary procedures and administrative requirements. Clubs must satisfy the federation’s eligibility and operational standards. Breaches such as using ineligible players or failing to meet staff-payment obligations can result in sanctions including an automatic 3–0 defeat or a deduction of points.
The league typically features 16 professional clubs. Promotion and relegation connect the national championship with the lower levels of Angolan football: the three lowest-placed teams normally drop into the provincial stages, while three clubs progress from the lower-division provincial qualification route to replace them. This system gives clubs outside the established elite a sporting path into the national competition while maintaining a clear route of access and exit.
The modern championship is generally a double round-robin league. Each club plays every other club twice, once at home and once away, producing approximately 30 matchdays in a 16-team edition. Results are recorded in one standings table, with the team finishing first crowned Angolan National Champion. This league format is distinct from a knockout cup: clubs build their position over the full schedule rather than advancing through one-off ties.
The opening 1979 edition followed a different model. It involved 24 teams divided into four groups before semi-final knockout matches, making it a hybrid group-and-knockout competition rather than the standard round-robin league structure used in later periods. That inaugural arrangement reflects the developing nature of national football immediately after independence and should not be confused with the modern format.
Points, rankings and matchday progression
The competition uses the standard football points system: three points for a win, one for a draw and no points for a defeat. Clubs are ranked primarily by their accumulated points across the season. When teams finish level on points, the head-to-head record between the clubs concerned is the principal tiebreaking consideration. If that comparison does not separate them, overall goal difference and goals scored are used as further ranking criteria where applicable.
A typical season begins in September or October and ends in May or June of the following year. Fixtures are usually distributed across weekends and the campaign advances through roughly 30 rounds before the final standings are confirmed. Exact dates and matchday arrangements can vary between editions, so the season calendar should be read in relation to the relevant competition year.
Championship rewards and continental football
Winning the Girabola is the highest domestic honour available to an Angolan club and confers the title of national champion. The leading clubs also compete for access to Africa’s major club tournaments. The champion and runner-up typically qualify for the CAF Champions League, while other high finishers may obtain places in the CAF Confederation Cup. The precise allocation depends on Angola’s position in the CAF association ranking and the qualification rules applying to the relevant season.
The league therefore combines national prestige, promotion and relegation pressure and a route to international competition. Its long history, evolving regulations and rivalry between leading clubs make it the central men’s football championship in Angola.