2015–16 Santiago Island League (North)

The 2015-16 Santiago Island League (North) season was the competition of the second-tier football in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Its started on 12 December 2015 and finished on 8 May 2016. The tournament was organized by the Santiago North Regional Football Association (Associação Regional de Futebol de Santiago Norte, ARFSS). It was the first ever season without any group stage and would become the longest of any of the regional leagues in Cape Verde and the only that occurred as the following season became the same as the South Zone's. Varandinha won their first and only title after finishing a record breaking 63 points and a record 20 wins, the highest of any of the island leagues in the nation and competed in the national championships. It was one of the newest clubs to win their first titles of any island/regional league in the nation.

Overview

Beira-Mar was the defending team of the title. A total of 14 clubs participated in the competition. There were a record total of 234 matches and a record 545 goals scored, the most of any regional championships in the nation which superseded the neighboring island's Fogo Premier Division's total of 412 made in 2014-15, this goal total has been unsurpassed today.

Also it was the first season that featured the Second Division, along with Maio, they were the next in the country to have a Second Division. The least three clubs directly relegated while fourth to last played a division decisional match in which União Picos defeated Chão Bom and remained in the Premier Division for one more season.

Varandinha scored 47 goals, Scorpion Vermelho scored the most with 57, second was 7th place AJAC with 52 and third was 3rd placed Calheta with 49, not a record of any of the island leagues as other clubs such as Santo Antão South's Académica Porto Novo which had 60 and Sporting Brava which was higher.

All of the 17th round matches took place on March 19 as the parliamentary elections took place on March 20.

In the last few rounds, Desportivo de Assomada did not played some matches and were awarded against them, the club withdrew, later Real Júnior withdrew and its remaining matches were awarded against them, both were relegated for the season alongside São Lourenco. Shortly around the end of the season, Real Júnior would not compete in the Second Division for the following season due to financial concerns.

At the end of the season, the championship went under dispute between Varandinha and Scorpion Vermelho. The May 13 match between a Santiago North representant and Desportivo da Praia was delayed as 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 just before the start of the national season and the 2-0 result was kept along with Varandinha first championship title alongside some of their club records. The next such delay was in 2017 which was on a 16th round match featuring AJAC and Juventus Assomada and the crowning of AJAC was kept.

Varandinha and Scorpions both finished with the number of wins and points that became the highest records set of any of island leagues in the nation.

A season later in early February, some of the referees were not paid for the 17th and 26th rounds of the season, which led the suspension of the following season on February 7 for two weeks. With the help of two major telecommunications companies, one of them Cabo Verde Telecom and its municipalities of where the clubs based, the referees were paid and the season resumed on February 25.

Participating clubs

Premier Division

Second Division

• ADEC - Calheta
• Chão Bom (also as Tchon Bom or Txon Bon)
• Delta Cultura - Tarrafal
• Esperança - Assomada
• Inter Cutelo
• Associação Juventus
• Associação Nhagar
• Portas Abertas

League standings

Premier Division

Second Division

• 1st: Associação Juventus
• 2nd: Chão Bom (also as Txon Bon)

Results

Partial listing up to the 14th round