Uscar secured their ticket to the final of the Madagascar Rugby Cup after a thrilling semi-final against TFMA Ankasina on Sunday at the Makis Stadium in Andohatapenaka. The municipal team won by a single point (45-44), thanks to a decisive drop goal by Tianarivo in the final minutes. They will face Cosfa in a rematch of the national championship final, which they narrowly lost in early September (24-25).
The match was full of twists and turns. Uscar took the lead with an early try from Tianarivo in the 7th minute. Taking advantage of TFMA’s numerical inferiority after two yellow cards, the municipal players extended their lead to 12-0 by the 15th minute.
Penalties then affected both teams. Uscar, also finding themselves shorthanded several times, saw TFMA narrow the gap but managed to hold a 27-19 lead at halftime. After the break, TFMA capitalized on their numerical advantage to turn the tide. Despite struggling against the opposition’s attacks, Uscar found the resources to fight back in a back-and-forth battle.
In the 68th minute, TFMA led 44-42. Three minutes later, Uscar lost a player to a red card. Despite this setback, Tianarivo landed the decisive drop goal, allowing his team to regain the lead and win 45-44.
“It was a very difficult match. I don’t like to talk about the refereeing, but he was overwhelmed and couldn’t manage the game properly,” said Berthin Rafalimanana, known as Zoto, the Uscar coach. Regarding the final, he added: “We will try to rise to the occasion, as it is a remake of the Madagascar championship final.”
On the other side, Fidelis Rakotoniaina, known as “coach Louda,” the TFMA coach, regretted his players’ mistakes: “We committed too many handling errors.”
Having qualified after a suspenseful finish, Uscar will have the opportunity to take revenge against the military team. Facing a Cosfa side that dominated TFA in the semi-finals (91-29), the municipal team will need to limit their errors and improve their discipline to hope to lift the trophy.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-19 06:23:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/luscar-arrache-sa-qualification-sur-le.html