- Football in Madagascar
Football is, along with
rugby union , one of the most popular sports in the African island nation ofMadagascar . The sport is governed in the country by theFédération Malagasy de Football .International
Madagascar's national football team, nicknamed the Barea, has not had great success internationally having never qualified for a
FIFA World Cup or anAfrican Nations Cup . 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.Domestic
Madagascar has an unusual domestic arrangement of leagues. The
THB 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 .
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