Madagascar - the sensation at the African Cup | Sports | '
Gernot Rohr is known for his fine manners. However, when coach Nigeria raised praises about his opponent Sunday afternoon after his team's surprise defeat of tournament debutant Madagascar, it was enormous, even by his standards: "It's no shame to lose to this team, they are strong, they have great Coach and can go far at the tournament, "said the German-French.
From problem case to tournament sensation
Madagascar had defeated Nigeria 2-0, with two wins and one draw in first place in Group B and brought the previous tournament sensation. To put things into perspective: Madagascar's national team has existed since 1947, but had never before qualified for a finals in football history. It was not so long ago that the country did not even register for qualifying matches. For example, in 1998, the African Football Association (CAF) had suspended Madagascar because the country had simply withdrawn its team during the 1996 Africa Cup qualifiers.
Historic after jubilee disaster
"We are so proud, a dream has come true, it is a gift for the people in our country who are watching us all, and perhaps a small consolation for the catastrophe of last Wednesday", said after the historic victory against Nigeria midfielder Marco Ilaimaharitra. What the 23-year-old pointed out from the Belgian club RC Charleroi: Before Madagascar's victory against Burundi last Thursday, there had been a tragedy on the day of independence celebrations in the capital Antananarivo. 16 people were killed in a mass panic, dozens were seriously injured.
Cheering football fans on the streets of the capital Antananarivo
No professional league in the country
The former French colony of Madagascar has been independent since 1960, but its links to the former colonial power remain narrow. Especially in football. "Anyone who wants to become something in football goes to France," says Faneva Andriatsima, who earns his living in Clermont-Ferrand in the French second division. In Madagascar itself there is no professional league, hardly any structures. The huge island is more known for rare animal species than football. Things have improved a bit since former Madagascar President Ahmad Ahmad became CAF president in the spring of 2017, but the backlog is still huge.
Above all, financially, the footballers are as little bedded on roses as the country still considered to be very poor. For example, Andriatsima sold 600 team jerseys on his own in the weeks leading up to the tournament preparation in order to be able to use the receipts to procure training materials.
Trainer has two jobs
Water shower for Tainer Nicolas Dupuis (2nd from r.
In Egypt, however, the team around national coach Nicolas Dupuis can achieve sensational results. The 51-year-old Frenchman, who took over the post of national coach in March 2017, acts in a dual function: In addition to his involvement on the fourth largest island in the world, he works in parallel as coach of the French fourth division FC Fleury, because the salary on Madagascar would not be enough , "It's a matter of the heart for both teams, you have to be well organized to do both, but working on both sides also inspires me," says the former Libero, who has never come across inferior French teams as a player and coach.
But now he stands with his national team in the round of 16 of the largest African sports event, will meet in the first knockout round on a group third. "We can play very freely, the boys grow together more and more, we are like a big family," says Dupuis. Like a surprisingly successful family.
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