They are called Barea and they are the national team of Madagascar. They never qualified for the finals of the World Cup but that is ok. You wouldn’t expect this from the team that was ranked at 195th place in FIFA ranking 5 years ago.
Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 is their first tournament of its kind. Among their biggest wins was a 1–0 home victory over Egypt in the qualification rounds of the 2004 African Cup of Nations until being surpassed by recent shocking 2–0 win over Nigeria in 2019 AFCON.
Currently, they managed through a round of 16 and will play in quarterfinals. They moved in FIFA ranking by 100 places and are 108th right now (as of 10.07.2019).
The world’s fourth-largest island, rich in wildlife and poor in financial health, has never been a hotbed for sporting achievement. Qualifying for this AFCON has in itself been historic. They never even entered the first seven editions. Then it was a chain of failed qualifications, withdrawing from even trying, and not entering in the first place, such as the shaky infrastructure of football in Madagascar, despite it being one of the most popular sports.
And the miracle happened. They won against Nigeria and Nigeria just simply do not lose against such teams as Barea. Not only this, but they also won the group and advanced from the first place.
There are a few pieces of the jigsaw that come together and tell you more about their recent success. Firstly, Madagascar benefited from the money and expertise that has come their way as part of FIFA’s projects promoting football in Africa. They have also improved because of the number of players who now earn a living in more organised football environments abroad, with the majority playing in France.
Another one is their coach Nicolas Dupuis, who introduced discipline and team ethic. “I have more of a team than individuals,” says the 51-year-old Frenchman. “I am proud of the players who give me a lot of emotion. There is simply the desire to make the Malagasy people very proud. They need it.”
One of the moves Dupuis did was to include Jérémy Morel at the age 34 to the team. He made his debut in the team and despite struggling with the injury he inspired the team and confirms that it is an amazing experience at AFCON. “We may not be as well-armed as some big teams but it’s the mindset that makes the difference,” he says. “I came for a human adventure and I found it. Feeling this good in a group is rare in a career. We are a real collective.”
Madagascar plays against Tunisia tomorrow. They are underdogs but football just loves underdog stories. Let’s see if that will be another dream come true.
