Union St Gilloise midfielder Loic Lapoussin put in a strong performance for Madagascar yesterday, however that was not enough as the side suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to the Central African Republic (CAR) at home. The CAR, led by Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, were under pressure for most of the game and could have easily lost had the hosts managed to take their chances.
At the other end, it was Quevilly Rouen Métropole striker Louis Mafouta who showed the hosts how to finish. The striker scored twice after 20-year-old midfielder Isaac Ngoma had given the CAR a shock lead. Ngoma plays in the countries domestic league for AS Tempête Mocaf.
For Lapoussin and Madagascar, qualification for the upcoming AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire in January 2024 took a serious blow with this result. They now sit bottom of their group, three points off Angola in second and six points of Ghana who are top. Marco Ilaimaharitra of Charleroi was absent for this game. The team reached the quarter-finals in the 2019 edition hosted by Egypt, the first time they had qualified for the tournament. However, the Barea failed to qualify for the most recent tournament in Cameroon.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
