| Caf inspector Josua Andries Hoebeb yesterday during his visit to Mahamasina. |
Football fans are concerned about the possibility of Madagascar hosting the matches counting for the third and fourth days of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The information has been more than locked down. The press had difficulty covering the visit of the emissary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), the Namibian Josua Andries Hoebeb, to Madagascar in order to assess the approval of the infrastructure to be able to host international matches.
More than seven press outlets present on site were deprived of covering this event, highly anticipated by fans of Malagasy football. The press was not allowed access to the stadium at the time of the Caf emissary’s inspection. The journalists were unable to pass through the P3 entrance gate, the usual access on working days. The Caf inspector’s assessment still remains a question mark.
He visited several infrastructures including the main one, the Barea stadium. Upon his arrival, he inspected the Ivato International Airport. The next day, he made a complete tour of the Barea stadium, the surrounding hospitals and the stadium lighting projectors in the early evening. He was accompanied by Sarindra Randrianasolo from the Malagasy Football Federation and others, during his stay on the Big Island.
In Malagasy, the tracing was only done around 6 a.m. yesterday, to be ready for evaluation. The head of the African body arrived at the Barea stadium at 7:30 a.m., according to the security officer on duty to inspect the pitch, the stands and everything under the stands. He really went around the stadium. The inspector spent more than two and a half hours on Mahamasina. The watering and sound system were tested during our visit.
Delayed reaction
The president of the Federation, Alfred Randriamanampisoa, visited there from 9:06 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The latter preferred not to answer questions from journalists. “He himself should answer your questions,” he procrastinates.
“The lawn is no problem. Natural herbs grow well. Just let them grow back before receiving the next match. The grass did not have enough time to host the friendly tournament. Normally, to have a perfect natural lawn, you have to completely replant the playing area,” underlines a source responsible for the premises.
In his program, the Caf emissary was to visit the surrounding hospitals, the training grounds of the Barea annex stadium and that of the By pass stadium, and check the stadium lighting projectors yesterday, early in the evening. This morning, he should inspect the surrounding hotels.
The Caf inspector will leave Madagascar early this afternoon. It remains to be seen what decision the international body will take after this inspection, given that no changes were made after the report requiring twenty recommendations. Could Fifa and Caf extend the deadline for rehabilitation of the imperatives
required? Time flies, Barea’s next matches against Comoros and Mali will take place in two months, at the beginning of June. In the event that the stadium is not approved, Madagascar will have to play its scheduled home matches elsewhere.
Serge Rasanda
