A new Indian Ocean derby for the youth national teams. The Madagascar Barea will face the Comoros Coelacanthes in the first round of the qualifiers for the U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The Confederation of African Football (CAF) held the draw for the U23 AFCON qualifiers, which will be hosted in Egypt, this Tuesday.
The first leg of this double-header is scheduled for September 28, while the return leg is set for October 6. The winner of this clash between the Malagasy and Comorian teams will face South Africa in the second round. The home-and-away matches for this second round are scheduled for November 9 and 17, 2026.
In 2023, Madagascar had already participated in the U23 AFCON qualifiers. At that time, the Malagasy selection was managed by the Union of International Footballers and Malagasy Sports Executives (Uficasm). In addition to young players from the diaspora who made up the team, the association conducted national tours to select the best young players on the island. Madagascar was eliminated by Gabon in the second round, after having defeated the Seychelles in the first round.
For this U23 AFCON qualifying campaign, 43 nations are involved, using a three-round system. Egypt, the host country, is directly qualified. The other 42 teams will compete for the seven available spots for the final tournament.
The two finalists of the U23 AFCON, as well as the winner of the third-place match, will directly secure their tickets to the Olympic Games. The fourth-placed team will have to go through an intercontinental CAF-AFC play-off.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-26 12:53:40 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://2424.mg/football-madagascar-croise-les-comores-au-premier-tour-des-qualifications-a-la-can-u23/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=football-madagascar-croise-les-comores-au-premier-tour-des-qualifications-a-la-can-u23