Madagascar national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Madagascar

Nickname(s)	Barea
Association	Fédération Malagasy de Football
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach	Corentin Martins
Captain	Ibrahim Amada
Most caps	Paulin Voavy (67)
Top scorer	Paulin Voavy (15)
Home stadium	Mahamasina Stadium Rabemananjara Stadium
FIFA code	MAD
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	107 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	74 (December 1992)
Lowest	190 (March 2014)
Elo ranking
Current	121 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest	64 (December 1964)
Lowest	167 (April 2007)
First international
Madagascar 1–2 Mauritius  (Madagascar; Date Unknown 1947)
Biggest win
Madagascar 8–1 Congo  (Antananarivo, Madagascar; 19 April 1960)
Biggest defeat
Mauritius 7–0 Madagascar (Réunion; 31 July 1952)  Congo-Léopoldville 7–0 Madagascar  (Congo; 18 July 1965)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	1 (first in 2019)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2019)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	1 (first in 2022)
Best result	Third place (2022)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	12 (first in 2002)
Best result	Third place (2015)
Medal record African Nations Championship Bronze 2022 Algeria COSAFA Cup Bronze 2015 South Africa

The Madagascar national football team, known as Barea, represents the country of Madagascar in football. The team gets its nickname from the barea, a type of zebu cattle found on the island. The Malagasy Football Federation controls the team.

Madagascar has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they made their first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019. One of their most famous wins was a 2–0 victory over Nigeria in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Before that, a 1–0 win against Egypt in 2004 was a big moment. From 1958 to 1975, the team was called the Malagasy Republic national football team.

Team History

Madagascar played its first game in 1947 against Mauritius at home. They lost that match 2–1. This game was part of a tournament called Triangulaire, which also included Reunion. Madagascar won their second match, beating Reunion 4–2. The Triangulaire tournament happened every year until 1958. Their biggest win in this tournament was 6–4 against Reunion in 1953. Their toughest loss was 7–0 to Mauritius in 1952.

In 1960, Madagascar played against teams other than Mauritius or Reunion for the first time. This was during a tournament for French-speaking countries held in Madagascar. On April 15, 1960, they beat Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) 6–1. They lost their next game to France's amateur team. However, they won the third-place match, beating the Congo 8–1.

In April 1963, Madagascar joined another tournament in Senegal. They won all their group games against Dahomey (now Benin), Chad, and Liberia. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Tunisia.

A big moment came on October 16, 2018, when Madagascar qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. This was their first time ever! In their first AFCON match on June 22, 2019, Anicet Abel scored Madagascar's first AFCON goal. They drew 2–2 with Guinea. The team then beat Burundi and won 2–0 against Nigeria. This helped them finish first in their group. Madagascar then beat DR Congo in the Round of 16 to reach the quarter-finals. Many people compared their success to Iceland's surprising run in UEFA Euro 2016. However, Madagascar's journey ended when they lost 3–0 to Tunisia.

Match Results

This section shows the team's recent match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Madagascar  v  Burundi

22 March International Friendly Tournament	Madagascar	1–0	Burundi	Antananarivo, Madagascar
13:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Mahamasina Municipal Stadium

Madagascar  v  Rwanda

25 March International Friendly Tournament	Madagascar	0–2	Rwanda	Antananarivo, Madagascar
16:00 UTC+3				Stadium: Mahamasina Municipal Stadium

Madagascar  v  Comoros

7 June 2026 World Cup Qualification	Madagascar	2–1	Comoros	Johannesburg, South Africa
18:00 UTC+2	Raveloson  1', 66'		Ben  90+4'	Stadium: FNB Stadium Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo (DR Congo)

Madagascar  v  Mali

11 June 2026 World Cup Qualification	Madagascar	0–0	Mali	Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2				Stadium: FNB Stadium Referee: Patrice Tanguy Mebiame (Gabon)

Tunisia  v  Madagascar

5 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Tunisia	1–0	Madagascar	Tunis, Tunisia
20:00 UTC+1	Sassi  90+8'			Stadium: Hammadi Agrebi Stadium Referee: Jean-Jacques Ndala (RD Congo)

Madagascar  v  Comoros

9 September 2025 AFCON qualification	Madagascar	1–1	Comoros	Tunis, Tunisia
16:00 UTC+1	Andriamatsinoro  9'		M'Changama  41'	Stadium: Hammadi Agrebi Stadium Referee: Patrice Mebiame (Gabon)

2025 Matches

Central African Republic  v  Madagascar

19 March 2026 World Cup Qualification	Central African Republic	1–4	Madagascar	Casablanca, Morocco
19:00 UTC+1	Gambor  9'		Raveloson  17', 21' Randrianantenaina  49' Rafanomezantsoa  89'	Stadium: Stade Larbi Zaouli Referee: Adalbert Diouf (Senegal)

Madagascar  v  Ghana

24 March 2026 World Cup Qualification	Madagascar	0–3	Ghana	Al Hoceima, Morocco
			Partey  11', 53' Kudus  58'	Stadium: Grand Stade d'Al Hoceima Referee: Issa Sy (Senegal)

Madagascar  v  Central African Republic

1 September 2026 World Cup Qualification

Madagascar

v

Central African Republic

Madagascar  v  Chad

5 September 2026 World Cup Qualification

Madagascar

v

Chad

Comoros  v  Madagascar

6 October 2026 World Cup Qualification

Comoros

v

Madagascar

Mali  v  Madagascar

10 October 2026 World Cup Qualification

Mali

v

Madagascar

Coaching Staff

This table shows the people who help coach and manage the Madagascar national football team.

Head coach	Corentin Martins
Assistant coaches	Andry Razakandrianaina Hervé Andrianasimbola
Goalkeeping coach	Nirina Rakotobololona
Fitness coach	Michel Rajaonarinantenaina
Match analyst	Flavien Andriamanomenjanahary
Performance coach	Alphonse Rakotomanatsinoro
Team doctors	Dr. Stéphane Rajaonaribololona Dr. Hugo Rakotomalalanantenaina
Physiotherapists	Gaël Njivarabesananteinaina Christophe Rakotonantenaina Philippe Ravelonomenjanahary Razakaniaina Andriarakotobololona
Team coordinator	Faneva Andriatsima
Technical director	Éric Rabésandratana

Coaching History

Here is a list of past coaches for the Madagascar national team.

Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were chosen for the friendly match against DR Congo on June 8, 2025. The numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are updated after that match.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Sonny Laiton	(2000-01-28) 28 January 2000 (age 25)	9	0	Avenir Beggen
16	1GK	Téva Gardies	(2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Châteaubriant
23	1GK	Melvin Adrien	(1993-08-30) 30 August 1993 (age 31)	26	0	Thonon Evian
3	2DF	Mathieu Acapandié	(2004-12-14) 14 December 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Nantes
4	2DF	Titouan Fortun	(2004-01-28) 28 January 2004 (age 21)	7	0	Dijon
5	2DF	Louis Démoléon	(1997-04-16) 16 April 1997 (age 28)	10	0	Enna
11	2DF	Enzo Bovis	(1994-04-23) 23 April 1994 (age 31)	2	0	Fleury 91
12	2DF	Radoniaina Rabemanantsoa	(1997-12-17) 17 December 1997 (age 27)	10	0	Andoharanofotsy
13	2DF	Scotty Sadzoute	(1998-04-29) 29 April 1998 (age 27)	1	0	Šiauliai
14	2DF	Robin Busset	(2000-02-25) 25 February 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Stade Nyonnais
	2DF	Soloniaina Rajo Nirina Razafindrabearimihanta	(1997-03-23) 23 March 1997 (age 28)	17	0	Saint-Denis
	2DF	Elysée Randriamanantena	(1986-01-25) 25 January 1986 (age 39)	1	0	ASSM Elgeco Plus
6	3MF	Kalvin Paul	(2001-07-02) 2 July 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Vierzon
7	3MF	Rayan Raveloson	(1997-01-16) 16 January 1997 (age 28)	41	7	Young Boys
8	3MF	Johan N'Zi	(1995-01-23) 23 January 1995 (age 30)	5	0	Hebar Pazardzhik
10	3MF	El Hadari Raheriniaina	(2006-08-19) 19 August 2006 (age 18)	14	1	Paris
10	3MF	Baggio Rakotoarisoa	(1996-01-24) 24 January 1996 (age 29)	3	0	Jeanne d'Arc
17	3MF	John Baggio	(1991-12-19) 19 December 1991 (age 33)	10	2	Sukhothai
	3MF	Marco Ilaimaharitra	(1995-07-26) 26 July 1995 (age 30)	31	3	Kortrijk
	3MF	Loïc Lapoussin	(1996-03-27) 27 March 1996 (age 29)	22	1	Sint-Truiden
9	4FW	Bryan Adinany	(2000-03-13) 13 March 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Lierse
15	4FW	Arnaud Randrianantenaina	(2001-01-03) 3 January 2001 (age 24)	18	1	El Gouna
19	4FW	Samuel Noireau-Dauriat	(2003-01-01) 1 January 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Guingamp
	4FW	Njiva Rakotoharimalala	(1992-08-06) 6 August 1992 (age 32)	40	8	Ratchaburi
	4FW	Hakim Abdallah	(1998-01-09) 9 January 1998 (age 27)	15	1	Dinamo București
	4FW	Warren Caddy	(1997-04-09) 9 April 1997 (age 28)	9	0	Lausanne Ouchy

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called to play for Madagascar in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Geordan Dupire	(1993-09-28) 28 September 1993 (age 31)	1	0	Swift Hesperange	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
GK	Zakanirina Rakotoasimbola	(1999-10-14) 14 October 1999 (age 25)	19	0	Marsouins	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Tony Randriamanampisoa	(1994-07-17) 17 July 1994 (age 31)	5	1	ASSM Elgeco Plus	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Jean Marcelin	(2000-02-12) 12 February 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Rapid Wien	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Jean-Pierre Morgan	(1992-10-30) 30 October 1992 (age 32)	3	0	Orléans	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Thomas Fontaine	(1991-05-08) 8 May 1991 (age 34)	32	1	Sochaux	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Thierno Millimono	(2002-08-16) 16 August 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Othellos Athienou	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
DF	Tantely Rabarijaona	(1995-02-17) 17 February 1995 (age 30)	19	0	CFFA	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
DF	Sandro Trémoulet	(1999-11-18) 18 November 1999 (age 25)	4	0	Seraing	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
DF	Davidson Gueguen	(2004-09-24) 24 September 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Villefranche Saint-Jean Beaulieu	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
DF	Kenji-Van Boto	(1996-03-07) 7 March 1996 (age 29)	9	0	Pau	v.  Gambia, 14 October 2024
DF	Romain Métanire	(1990-03-28) 28 March 1990 (age 35)	27	0	Spokane Velocity	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
DF	Fabien Boyer	(1991-04-12) 12 April 1991 (age 34)	6	0	Saint-Pierroise	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
DF	Nomena Andriatiana	(2000-02-06) 6 February 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Aubagne FC	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
MF	Tommy Iva	(2000-06-02) 2 June 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Orléans	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
MF	Lalaïna Rafanomezantsoa	(1998-03-10) 10 March 1998 (age 27)	23	2	CFFA	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
MF	Clément Couturier	(1993-09-13) 13 September 1993 (age 31)	5	0	FC Villefranche Beaujolais	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
MF	Arohasina Andrianarimanana	(1991-04-21) 21 April 1991 (age 34)	34	2	Fosa Juniors	v.  Ghana, 24 March 2025
MF	Ibrahim Amada (captain)	(1990-02-28) 28 February 1990 (age 35)	47	4	Ratchaburi	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
MF	Rojo Andriamanjato	(1992-08-11) 11 August 1992 (age 32)	30	1	Saint-Pauloise	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
MF	Andy Rakotondrajoa	(2003-07-24) 24 July 2003 (age 22)	6	0	Disciples	v.  Comoros, 9 September 2024
MF	Ando Manoelantsoa	(1991-04-06) 6 April 1991 (age 34)	16	0	Saint-Pierroise	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
FW	Tsiry Randriatsiferana	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28)	31	6	Saint-Pauloise	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
FW	Ryan Ponti	(1998-06-22) 22 June 1998 (age 27)	4	0	US Orléans	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
FW	Fenohasina Razafimaro	(1999-01-27) 27 January 1999 (age 26)	2	0	ASSM Elgeco Plus	v.  Comoros, 18 November 2024
FW	Carolus Andriamahitsinoro	(1989-07-06) 6 July 1989 (age 36)	49	12	Al-Kawkab	v.  Gambia, 14 October 2024
FW	Tendry Randrianarijaona	(1998-03-19) 19 March 1998 (age 27)	25	4	Disciples	v.  Gambia, 14 October 2024
FW	Nicolas Fontaine	(2000-02-07) 7 February 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Lokeren-Temse	v.  Gambia, 14 October 2024
FW	Angelo Andrianantenaina	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28)	3	0	AS Excelsior	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
FW	Julien Pontgerard	(1997-05-04) 4 May 1997 (age 28)	0	0	AS Brestois	v.  Mali, 10 June 2024
DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up. INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Player has retired from international football. SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

Here are some records for the Madagascar national football team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Madagascar.

Most Games Played

Paulin Voavy has played the most games and scored the most goals for Madagascar.

This table shows the players who have played the most games (called "caps") for Madagascar.

Top Goalscorers

This table lists the players who have scored the most goals for Madagascar.

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

Madagascar has tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup many times but has not yet made it to the main tournament.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GR
1930 to 1958	Part of  France									Part of  France
as  Malagasy Republic										as  Malagasy Republic
1962	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1966 and 1970	Did not enter									Did not enter
1974	Withdrew									Withdrew
as  Madagascar										as  Madagascar
1978	Did not enter									Did not enter
1982	Did not qualify									2	0	1	1	3	4	details
1986										2	1	0	1	1	1	details
1990	Did not enter									Did not enter
1994	Did not qualify									4	3	0	1	7	3	details
1998										2	0	1	1	3	4	details
2002										10	3	0	7	7	16	details
2006										2	0	1	1	3	4	details
2010										8	3	3	2	12	9	details
2014										2	1	0	1	2	3	details
2018										4	1	2	1	7	7	details
2022										6	1	1	4	4	9	details
2026	To be determined									6	3	1	2	9	6	details
2030										To be determined						details
2034																details
Total	–	0/15	–	–	–	–	–	–		48	16	10	22	58	66	–

Africa Cup of Nations

Madagascar made its debut in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals.

Africa Cup of Nations record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GR
1957	Part of  France									Part of  France
1959
1962	Not affiliated to CAF									Not affiliated to CAF
1963
1965	Did not enter									Did not enter
1968
1970
1972	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	5	details
1974										2	1	0	1	3	4	details
1976	Withdrew									Withdrew
1978	Did not enter									Did not enter
1980	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	6	details
1982										4	2	1	1	4	7	details
1984										4	1	1	2	3	4	details
1986										2	0	0	2	2	6	details
1988										2	1	0	1	2	3	details
1990	Withdrew									Withdrew
1992	Did not qualify									5	2	2	1	3	2	details
1994	Did not enter									Did not enter
1996	Withdrew during qualifiers									Withdrew during qualifiers
1998	Banned for withdrawal in 1996									Banned for withdrawal in 1996
2000	Did not qualify									8	2	3	3	9	12	details
2002										8	2	2	4	7	8	details
2004										4	2	0	2	2	8	details
2006										2	0	1	1	3	4	details
2008										4	0	0	4	0	14	details
2010										8	3	3	2	12	9	details
2012										6	0	1	5	4	14	details
2013										2	0	0	2	1	7	details
2015										2	1	0	1	2	2	details
2017										6	0	3	3	5	12	details
2019	Quarter-finals	6th	5	2	2	1	7	7		8	5	1	2	12	10	details
2021	Did not qualify									6	2	2	2	9	9	details
2023										6	0	3	3	1	9	details
2025										6	0	2	4	4	8	details
2027	To be determined									To be determined
2029
Total	Quarter-finals	1/35	5	2	2	1	7	7		99	26	25	48	94	163	–

African Nations Championship

Madagascar achieved third place in the African Nations Championship in 2022.

African Nations Championship record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	GR
2009	Did not enter									Did not enter
2011	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	0	2	Details
2014	Did not enter									Did not enter
2016
2018	Did not qualify									6	3	2	1	6	3	Details
2020										4	2	0	2	4	5	Details
2022	Third place	3rd	5	4	0	1	9	3		4	3	1	0	6	1	Details
Total	Third place	1/7	5	4	0	1	9	3		16	9	3	4	16	11	—

Indian Ocean Island Games

Madagascar has won the Indian Ocean Island Games three times.

Indian Ocean Island Games record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1979	Did not enter
1985	Fourth place	4th	2	1	0	1	2	3
1990	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	12	1
1993	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	10	2
1998	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	1	0	10	3
2003	Group stage	5th	2	0	1	1	2	4
2007	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	2	0	7	0
2011	Group stage	7th	2	0	1	1	2	3
2015	Fourth place	4th	5	1	1	3	6	8
2019	Group stage	5th	2	0	2	0	2	2
2023	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	7	3
Total	3 Titles	10/11	33	17	10	6	60	29

COSAFA Cup

Madagascar has also competed in the COSAFA Cup, a regional tournament for Southern African teams.

COSAFA Cup record
Year	Round	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2000	Excluded
2001
2002	Quarter-finals	5th	2	1	1	0	3	2
2003	Quarter-finals	7th	2	1	0	1	2	3
2004	Round 1	11th	1	0	0	1	0	2
2005	Round 1	10th	1	0	0	1	0	2
2006	Round 1	13th	2	0	0	2	0	4
2007	Round 1	8th	2	1	0	1	5	1
2008	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	6	7
2009	Did not enter
2013
2015	Third place	3rd	6	4	1	1	11	7
2016	Group stage	11th	3	1	1	1	1	1
2017	Group stage	9th	3	2	1	0	6	1
2018	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	4	4
2019	Did not enter
2021	Did not enter
2022	Quarter-finals	5th	2	0	0	2	4	1
2023	Did not enter
Total	Third place	12/22	36	14	8	14	42	35

Team Honours

Here are the awards and achievements of the Madagascar national football team.

Major Competitions

• African Nations Championship
  • Third Place (1): 2022

Regional Competitions

• COSAFA Cup
  • Third Place (1): 2015
• COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup
  • Gold medal (1): 2005
• Indian Ocean Island Games
  • Gold medal (3): 1990, 1993, 2023
  • Silver medal (2): 1998, 2007
• Triangulaire
  • Champions (3): 1955, 1958, 1963
  • Runners-up (7): 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956
  • Third Place (3): 1950, 1954, 1957

Summary of Honours

Senior Competitions				Total
CAF African Nations Championship	0	0	1	1
Total	0	0	1	1

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Madagascar para niños