Debutant Madagascar is the big Surprise at Africa Cup in Egypt. The Team of the fourth largest island in the world, moved in with attacking football in the next round. There is a feasible opponent waits.
Gernot Rohr is known for its fine handling. But as the coach of Nigeria lifted on Sunday evening after the surprising defeat of his team against the tournament Madagascar debutant to praise about the opponent, that was even for his standards: “It is no shame to lose against this Team. They are strong, have a great coach and can get in the tournament is still far away,” said the German-Frenchman.
From the problem case to the tournament Sensation
2:0 Madagascar Nigeria had beaten, with two Wins and a tie for first place in group B got hold of and for the previous tournament sensation taken care of. In order to classify things once: Madagascar national team has existed since 1947, had but to qualify in its football history never before for a final. It is not long since the country is not logged in games for qualification. In 1998, for example, the Confederation of African football, CAF, Madagascar had been blocked because the country had withdrawn during the Africa Cup of Nations-qualification in 1996, his Team just.
Historical to the anniversary of the disaster
“We are so proud of. A dream come true. It is a gift for the people in our country watching us all. And maybe a small consolation for the disaster of last Wednesday,” said after the historic victory against Nigeria midfielder Marco Ilaimaharitra. What the 23-Year-old from Belgian club RC Charleroi pointed out: Prior to Madagascar’s victory against Burundi last Thursday, there had been the day of the independence day celebrations in the capital, Antananarivo, is a tragedy. 16 people were in a mass panic killed, dozens seriously injured.
Cheering football fans on the streets of the capital Antananarivo
No professional League in the country
Since 1960, the former French colony of Madagascar is independent but the Connections with the former colonial power are still tight. Especially in football. “Who wants to be with us in football, goes to France,” said Faneva Andriatsima, the earned in Clermont-Ferrand in the French second division, his money. In Madagascar, there is no professional League, hardly any structures. The huge island is more likely for rare species than for football. Things have improved somewhat, since the former President of the Association of Madagascar, Ahmad Ahmad, in the spring of 2017 CAF was President, but the backlog is still immense.
Especially financially, the players are bedded on roses, such as the as very poor and in force throughout the country. So Andriatsima sold in the weeks prior to the tournament preparing own powerful 600 team jerseys, to be able to with the revenue training materials get.
Coach has two Jobs
Water shower for Tainer Nicolas Dupuis (2.v.r.)
In Egypt now, the band led by national coach Nicolas Dupuis can be reached but Sensational. The 51-year-old Frenchman, who took over the Post of national team coach in March 2017, acts, so to speak, in a dual function: in addition to his commitment to the fourth-largest island in the world, he works in parallel as a coach of the French fourth-division club FC Fleury, because the salary would not be sufficient to Madagascar. “Both Teams are a matter of the heart for me. You have to organize well to be able to do both. However, the work on both sites has inspired me,” says the former Libero, came out as a player and coach, never under-rate French team.
But now he is with his national team in the first knockout round of the biggest African sport event, in the first knock-out round on a group’s third meeting. “We can update released. The boys grow together more and more. We are like a big family,” says Dupuis. As a surprisingly successful family.