Another victory. The local pre-selected players have been playing friendly preparation matches for the past month and a half of training camp. Twenty-four players are currently continuing the gathering, two weeks ahead of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which serve as a pathway to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The pre-selected players played their fifth and sixth friendly matches this weekend. Yesterday, the Barea defeated the Bongolava selection with a landslide score of 8-0 on the synthetic pitch in Tsiroanomandidy. “We are currently consolidating maturity in our game organization. While there are clear improvements and we have scored many goals, some details still need closer attention,” emphasized coach Herimanitra Rabeharisoa, known as “Hery Be”.
The day before, the second team, or reserve squad, defeated the Itasy senior selection 2-1 on Saturday in Analavory. “The players clearly dominated and played well during the first half. The pitch was dirt, not up to standard at all, and their performance dropped in the second half,” the technician explained. The local pre-selection has recorded five victories and one draw against Ajesaia PFL (1-1) the previous weekend.
The Barea will face the South African Bafana Bafana in the second qualifying round, scheduled for November 13 in Mauritius for the first leg and November 17 for the return leg in South Africa. After more than two weeks of working with the local players, head coach Boualem Mankour joined the staff in France a week ago to finalize the preparation of the expatriate players. The final squad list has been expected since last week.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-26 06:24:18 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/can-u23-les-barea-peaufinent-la-maturite.html