Nickname(s) Barea Highest 74 (December 1992) Captain Johann Paul | FIFA code MAD Manager Frank Rajaonarisamba Head coach Auguste Raux | |
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Sub-confederation COSAFA
(Southern Africa) Home stadium Mahamasina Stadium
Rabemanjara Mahajanga Stadium Current 135 2 (12 January 2017) League Confederation of African Football Arena/Stadium Mahamasina Municipal Stadium Association Malagasy Football Federation | ||
The Madagascar national football team, nicknamed Barea (a species of Zebu that is depicted on the country's coat of arms), is the national team of Madagascar and is controlled by the Fédération Malagasy de Football. It has never qualified for the finals of the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations. Among its biggest wins was a 1–0 home victory over Egypt in the qualification rounds of the 2004 African Cup of Nations. Reflecting the official name of the country at the time, the team was known as the Malagasy Republic national football team between 1958 and 1975.
Contents
History
Madagascar made its debut in 1947 in a home match against Mauritius which was lost 2–1. The game was part of a Triangulaire tournament between Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. Madagascar's second match was at home to Reunion and saw their first ever win, 4–2. The triangular tournament was staged every year until 1958, and Madagascar's highest-scoring game was on 13 July 1953 when they beat Reunion 6–4 at home. Their worst loss was on 31 July 1952 when they lost 7–0 to Mauritius in Reunion.
Madagascar played against opposition different from Mauritius or Reunion for the first time in 1960, as part of a tournament between French-speaking nations held on the island. In their first match on 15 April 1960 they beat the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) 6–1. The second game was a quarter-final against France's amateur side on 17 April and was lost 2–1. On 19 April Madagascar beat the Congo 8–1 in the third-place play-off.
In April 1963 Madagascar entered another competition for French-speaking countries, this time in Senegal, and was placed in a group with Dahomey (now Benin), Liberia and Chad. They opened with a 1–0 win over Dahomey on 11 April, and then beat Chad 2–1 on 13 April and Liberia 3–1 on 15 April. In the semi-finals, Madagascar were beaten 2–1 by Tunisia on 19 April, and then lost 4–1 to France's amateur team in the third-place play-off on 21 April.
In September 1963 the Triangulaire between Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius was reinstated for the first time since 1958. On 15 September they beat Reunion 6–1 at home, and on 18 September drew 1–1 to Mauritius in a home game which was abandoned.
FIFA World Cup
Recent Call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team in the last 12 months.