Football is, along with rugby union, one of the most popular sports in the African island nation of Madagascar. The sport is governed in the country by the Malagasy Football Federation.[1]
| Football in Madagascar | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Malagasy Football Federation |
| National team(s) | national football team |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
Champions League CAF Confederation Cup Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup(National Team) African Cup of Nations(National Team) | |
International
editMadagascar's national football team, nicknamed the Barea, has not had great success internationally having never qualified for a FIFA World Cup.[2][3] They have performed well in some minor competitions however, advancing to the semifinals in the COSAFA Cup (contested between national teams from Southern Africa) in 2008 and winning the football portion of the Indian Ocean Games twice. Some of the country's best players have played professionally overseas, mostly in France.
Madagascar reached the quarterfinals in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, beating teams such as Nigeria and DR Congo .[4] This was the first time the country has qualified for an African Cup of Nations. In 2022 Madagascar reached the 3rd place of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Domestic
editMadagascar has an unusual domestic arrangement of leagues. The THB Champions League is the country's most prestigious club honor, but clubs qualify for it annually from one of the 22 regional leagues, much like in the UEFA Champions League. The Anamalanga Regional League is the most notable of these regional leagues, which includes the capital of Antananarivo and domestic powerhouses like Ajesaia and AS Adema. The country's main cup competition is the Coupe de Madagascar, whose winners play the THB Champions League winner in the Super Coupe de Madagascar.
In 2019 the Malagsy Football Federation announced the commencement of a new professional league, the Malagasy Pro League.[5]
League system
edit|
Level |
League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||||||
|
1 |
Malagasy Regional Leagues | |||||||||||
Football stadiums in Madagascar
edit| # | Stadium | City | Capacity | Tenants | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahamasina Municipal Stadium | Antananarivo | 40,880 | Madagascar national football team | .jpg)
|
| 2 | Kianja Barikadimy | Toamasina | 25,000 | ||
| 3 | Stade CNaPS Sport | Toamasina | 15,000 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "ESPN.com - SOCCER - Team repeatedly scores own goals to protest refs". Espn.go.com. 2002-11-02. Archived from the original on December 9, 2002. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
- ^ "BBC Sport - Football - Frenchman Jean-Paul Rabier appointed Madagascar coach". BBC News. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
- ^ "BBC Sport - Football - Madagascar turn to Mosa yet again". BBC News. 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
- ^ "Africa Cup of Nations: Rewards for Malagasy history makers". BBC Sport. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
- ^ Madagasikara, Redaction Midi (12 October 2019). "Football : La Pro League lancée ! – Midi Madagasikara" (in French). Retrieved 2019-10-16.
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