Madagascar midfielder, Rayan Raveloson, has said the Barea are not intimidated by Nigeria’s star-studded squad ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener against the Super Eagles in Uyo on Friday.
The Turkey-based Amedspor midfielder and his teammates arrived in Nigeria on Monday, ahead of the hosts, who began arriving a day later for the encounter.
Although Nigeria will be without striker Victor Osimhen, who has been ruled out through injury, Raveloson believes Madagascar have enough confidence to face the Super Eagles without fear.
“Osimhen is a big player and everyone knows him. We are not scared. It’s football and they are humans like us. Everyone wants to win, but sometimes you have to lose to learn,” he told Football Temple.
Madagascar, who are 104th in the latest FIFA rankings, have a squad largely made up of players plying their trade in lower divisions across Europe and leagues in Africa.
However, the Barea head into the qualifying campaign with confidence after reaching the final of the recent African Nations Championship.
The island nation are targeting only their second appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, having made their debut in 2019 and reached the quarter-finals in a memorable campaign.
Madagascar also stunned Nigeria with a 2-0 victory when both sides met in the group stage of the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
In their previous AFCON qualifying meetings, Nigeria defeated Madagascar home and away during the qualifiers for the 2012 tournament, although the Super Eagles eventually failed to secure a place at the finals.
The Madagascar Football Federation appointed Corentin Martins as head coach in January 2025, with qualification for the 2027 AFCON listed among his major objectives.
After their clash with Nigeria on Friday, Madagascar will face Tanzania next week, leaving Martins and his squad with little time to recover between their opening two qualifying fixtures.
