| Football in Madagascar | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Malagasy Football Federation |
| National team(s) | national football team |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
Champions League CAF Confederation Cup Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup(National Team) African Cup of Nations(National Team) | |
Football is, along withrugby union, one of the most popular sports in the African island nation ofMadagascar. The sport is governed in the country by theMalagasy Football Federation.[1]
Madagascar's national football team, nicknamed the Barea, has not had great success internationally having never qualified for aFIFA World Cup.[2][3] They have performed well in some minor competitions however, advancing to the semifinals in theCOSAFA Cup (contested between national teams from Southern Africa) in 2008 and winning the football portion of theIndian Ocean Games twice. Some of the country's best players have played professionally overseas, mostly in France.
Madagascar reached the quarterfinals in the2019 Africa Cup of Nations, beating teams such asNigeria andDR Congo .[4] This was the first time the country has qualified for an African Cup of Nations.In2022 Madagascar reached the 3rd place of theAfrican Nations Championship.
Madagascar has an unusual domestic arrangement of leagues. TheTHB Champions League is the country's most prestigious club honor, but clubs qualify for it annually from one of the 22 regional leagues, much like in theUEFA Champions League. TheAnamalanga Regional League is the most notable of these regional leagues, which includes the capital ofAntananarivo and domestic powerhouses likeAjesaia andAS Adema. The country's main cup competition is theCoupe de Madagascar, whose winners play the THB Champions League winner in theSuper Coupe de Madagascar.
In 2019 the Malagsy Football Federation announced the commencement of a new professional league, the MalagasyPro League.[5]
Level | League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||||||
1 | Malagasy Regional Leagues | |||||||||||
| # | Stadium | City | Capacity | Tenants | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahamasina Municipal Stadium | Antananarivo | 40,880 | Madagascar national football team | .jpg) |
| 2 | Barikadimy Stadium | Toamasina | 25,000 | ||
| 3 | Stade CNaPS Sport | Toamasina | 15,000 |
| National teams |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
| ||||
| Domestic cups |
| ||||
| Awards | |||||
| Lists | |||||
  | This article about sports in Madagascar is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | Thisassociation football article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
