Barea head coach Corentin Martins visited Madagascar from Thursday to Monday. The Franco-Portuguese tactician attended the Madagascar Cup final, where FC Rouge defeated AS Sainte-Anne on Saturday at the By-Pass. The head of the national team once again chose not to answer questions from journalists, even as the progress of the Barea’s preparation, with less than two months until the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, remains a major concern for Malagasy football fans.
The result of the single preparation match during the FIFA window in March against Morocco was catastrophic (0-4). Only one new recruit, Blagnac FC goalkeeper Ilam Djaliane from the Nationale 3 (5th division), was called up to strengthen the squad. The coach has struggled to find new potential elements to reshape the team, as most of the experienced expatriate players appear to have reached their peak.
“Corentin Martins attended the Cup final and simply observed the level of the players from the finalist teams, all of which are local clubs… He spent a few days here primarily to discuss the preparation for the next training camp ahead of the AFCON qualifiers,” whispered a source from the federation who preferred to remain anonymous.
The Barea will begin their campaign against the Nigerian Black Stars away, followed by a home match against Tanzania, scheduled between September 26 and October 6.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-30 05:38:58 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/football-qualifications-can-passage.html