Kenya vs Madagascar: Inside Look at Harambee Stars’ CHAN 2024 Quarter-Final Opponents
- Madagascar will be hoping to overcome Kenya's Harambee Stars in front of their home crowd at the CHAN 2024 quarter-finals
- The bronze medallists from the 2022 edition reached the knockout rounds after finishing second behind Tanzania in Group B
- We take a look at what you need to know about Madagascar as a country and what to expect from their CHAN 2024 squad
Madagascar arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday evening ahead of their quarter-final match at the African Nations Championships against Kenya.
Source: UGC
The team came in from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where they had pitched tent since the start of the month for their group stage campaign.
TUKO.co.ke takes an in-depth look at everything you need to know about the team standing in Harambee Stars' way for a semi-final spot.
Where is Madagascar?
While most of Africa's nations are stitched and woven together, Madagascar slid away into the Indian Ocean.
It is a giant patch of earth floating that rests in the vast ocean blue, south of the continent’s eastern curve.
It is approximately 400 kilometres from the shores of Mozambique. For context, Nairobi to Kakamega is around 380 kilometres.
Regionally in football, they are a member of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA).
Madagascar's performance at CHAN tournament
The Barea (humped cattle), as their national team is fondly known, are making their second appearance at CHAN.
Their only other appearance came in the last edition in 2022, where they remarkably reached the semi-finals. They lost to the eventual winners, Senegal.
They redeemed themselves in the play-off match, where they beat Niger thanks to a late goal from Jean Razafindrakoto, to finish third.
What is Madagascar known for?
The world's fourth-largest island is home to the longest known personal names.
The animals and plants found in the country aren't found anywhere else on earth. They speak French and Malagasy, and their current president is Andrey Rajoelina, who has been in office since 2019.
Madagascar's team at CHAN 2024
The Barea came back looking for another deep run in the competition. They qualified after beating Eswatini 2-1 on aggregate.
Head coach Romuald 'Roro' Rakotondrabe named a strong team led by Fenohasina Razafimanana and Toky Rakotondraibe.
Roro alternates between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, with his style based on high-intensity pressing, quick transitions and versatility to adapt to the needs of the game.
Source: UGC
How did they reach CHAN 2024 quarter-finals?
The Malagasy opened their campaign by drawing with Mauritania 0-0 in a game where their captain, Andriamirado Andrianarimanana, was sent off after just 39 minutes.
They lost their second game to hosts Tanzania 2-1, thanks to two goals in seven minutes from Clement Mzize.
The Barea got their campaign back on track by beating the Central African Republic 2-0 before defeating Burkina Faso 2-1 in their last game.
They finished with seven points, the same as Mauritania, but they had a superior goal difference to set up the clash with Kenya.
Who are Madagascar's star players?
As already mentioned, Razafimanana is one of the go-to players for Roro. He scored a goal of the tournament contender against Burkina Faso.
Lalaina Cliver Rafanomezantsoa is another player Benni McCarthy needs to be wary of. The CFFA midfielder has been a dependable source of goals, chipping in with two goals and two assists so far.
However, and more interestingly, it is their veteran goalkeeper, Michel 'Toldo' Ramandimbisoa, who has been the star of the show, winning three man-of-the-match awards.
Tanzania hits back at Benni McCarthy
In a related report, Yanga official Ally Kamwe hit back at Benni McCarthy following his comments on Tanzania's next opponents.
McCarthy had taken a dig at Taifa Stars, sarcastically wishing them all the best ahead of their game against Morocco.
Kamwe took note of the comments, telling McCarthy and Kenyans that Tanzania fear no one
Source: TUKO.co.ke
