Eliminated from the World Cup race, the Ankoay finished their campaign in a fiasco. Technicians and basketball stakeholders are calling for a profound restructuring of the discipline.
The Ankoay leave the 2027 World Cup qualifiers with an unforgiving record: six matches, six defeats. Beaten during the first window by the Democratic Republic of Congo (79-87), Senegal (66-99), and Côte d’Ivoire (74-99), they failed to turn things around during the second phase held in Dakar. Madagascar fell again to the DRC (62-82), then to Senegal (59-101), before ending with a more encouraging defeat against Côte d’Ivoire (102-118).
While the results are harsh, the performance delivered during the final match showed some positive signs. Unlike the first two games played in Dakar, the Ankoay displayed more offensive fluidity, breaking the 100-point mark for the first time in the campaign. Facing one of the best African teams, they showed better ball circulation and more audacity in attack, even if defensive shortcomings remained evident.
For Alain Marcel Aimé Randria, known as Coach Mémé, several factors explain this failure. The technician points first to the lack of international experience among the players. “The Ankoay suffer from a lack of high-level competition,” he emphasizes.
Priority areas
He also notes the particular context of this selection, composed of three generations of players, with head coach Mickaël Pivaud having only two weeks to get to know his squad before the competition. According to him, this time frame was too short to allow the head coach to identify each player’s strengths or effectively adapt his game system according to the opponents. Coach Mémé finally points out that local technicians know the realities of Malagasy basketball better and could contribute more to the development of the national team.
Beyond the sporting analysis, several voices converge on the same conclusion: Malagasy basketball must reach a new level in its organization. After the match against Côte d’Ivoire, captain Sitraka Raharimanantoanina called for continued efforts, with priority given to the professionalization of players to allow them to compete with the best African nations.
This view is shared by Andry Rakotomanatsoa, known as Coach Sexy. According to him, the problem goes far beyond the court. “It is a question of structure,” he asserts, fully supporting the captain’s call. He believes that professionalization has become unavoidable and warns that, without the evolution of the Malagasy basketball environment, the gap with the great African nations will continue to widen. He advocates for strengthening the National Technical Directorate to ensure better monitoring of talent.
This African campaign has thus highlighted the main areas for reconstruction: increasing high-level competitions, stabilizing technical staff, strengthening training structures, and professionalizing players.
Donné Raherinjatovo
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-10 06:13:05 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/basketball-5×5-les-techniciens.html