Madagascar’s Barea and their supporters will be hoping to put a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign behind them when they play host to Benin in their FIFA World Cup qualifying Group J opener on Thursday. The capital of Antananarivo will have six “fan zones” set up throughout the city for fans to gather and watch the match and the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium will reportedly have supporters.
Media in the area report that Barea supporters will be glad to unite and temporarily forget about politics and other issues in the country that have been at the forefront. However, in its pre-match reporting, the Madagascar Tribune indicates that issues lurk in the background between the country’s football federation and the government’s Ministry of Sport relating to the hiring of new manager Éric Rabésandratana and other organizational problems.
