In a pivotal 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, Madagascar will face Comoros at Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi on Monday.
To improve their prospects of qualifying for the competition, both teams will be looking to win the qualifications for the first time.
Madagascar hopes to bounce back quickly after their opening-round 1-0 loss to Tunisia in the 2025 AFCON qualifications this coming Thursday when they play their second encounter.
Read Also:AFCON 2025: Uganda vs Congo confirmed line-ups
Before Ferjani Sassi’s injury goal eight minutes into stoppage time destroyed the Madagascar team’s aspirations, the Barea were headed for a crucial point.
Following this loss, Tunisia now leads the group with three points, while Gambia and Comoros are currently in second and third place with one point apiece.
Romuald Rakotondrabe’s team is now bottom of the group.
Madagascar is looking for their first AFCON qualification victory since 2021 after finishing last year with three draws and three losses out of six games.
The Barea, though, are hoping to repeat their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign’s performance, which included a 2-1 triumph against Monday’s opponents, Comoros, in June, when they won two of four games.
Madagascar is hosting Comoros for the third time; the home team has won the last two encounters held on Madagascarn territory.
After placing third in their group, six points ahead of Lesotho but six behind Zambia and the eventual tournament winners, Ivory Coast, Stefano Cusin’s team was unable to advance to the 2023 AFCON.
They have, nevertheless, had a successful World Cup qualifying campaign thus far, with one victory in their last two away games and nine points after four games to lead their group.
The visitors have only participated in one AFCON competition, which was in Cameroon in 2021.
Here is how both teams line up
Madagascar Starting XI
Laiton, Safidy, Fontaine, Demoleon, Rado, Ahmada,Raveloson, Johan N’zi, Lapoussin, Carolus, Arnaud
Comoros Starting XI
Pandor,Mdahoma, Omari, A. Abdallah, Bakari, Bourhane, Lutin, Mchangama,Selemani, Saïd, Myziane