Don't count out Central African Republic! The team popularly known as Les Fauves (The Beasts) have achieved remarkable results in recent years as the national team continues to evolve from a minnow in African football to an opponent that is well known for claiming points off some of Africa's top teams.
Les Fauves are among the teams who will be in action when they face Madagascar (16:00 GMT) as 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying returns from the African region on Wednesday. Currently in fifth place on four points in Group I, the quest for points is urgent as the team attempts to gain ground on co-leaders Comoros and Ghana (9 points) as well as Wednesday's opponents (7 points) and Mali (5 points).
Group I Table (4 matches played)
Points | |
Comoros | 9 |
Ghana | 9 |
Madagascar | 7 |
Mali | 5 |
Central African Republic | 4 |
Chad | 0 |
The group winner qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Four of the nine group runners-up qualify for a playoff to determine Africa's representative at the intercontinental qualifying playoff.
The team is attempting to shake away controversy off the pitch centered around the appointment of Cameroonian legend Rigobert Song as head coach by the nation's government, the subject of an ongoing dispute with the football federation. The federation's preferred choice, interim coach Eloge Enza-Yamissi, remains in charge for the March FIFA window.
The squad for the upcoming matches is rejuvenated after a disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. Europe-based luminaries and dual nations return to the team including captain Geoffrey Kondogbia of Olympique Marseille while two dual nationals will lead the attack: Louis Mafouta of French Ligue 2 side Amiens and in form attacker Godouine Koyalipou of RC Lens in Ligue 1.
Mafouta has been thriving with the Central African selection (16 goals in 26 appearances) while Koyalipou joins after strong performances in Belgium and Bulgarian club football earned him a lucrative move to the big stage of French club football. Highly experienced French-born defender Cédric Yambéré also returns to the team as a defensive leader along with recent recruits Hugo Gambor (Gent) and Kenny Kima Beyissa (Virton), both dual nationals based in Belgium.
But this team also has rising stars produced in the domestic scene and through the youth national teams. Tall forward Moustapha Djimet is an excellent example.
The product of Red Star Bangui in the nation's capital participated with Central African Republic at the 2021 and 2023 editions of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, a clear sign of the progress being made in youth football development in the nation. Djimet earned a move to Belarusian football with FC Minsk, where he scored 6 goals in 12 matches resulting in an upgrade to top capital club Dinamo Minsk. Djimet made his debut for Dinamo on March 1 in a cup match.
Coach Enza-Yamissi, the Bangui-born former midfielder who enjoyed a long career of over twenty years in French club football, has the tools at his disposal to make noise in Group I. Let's see if Les Fauves can put it together on the pitch and shake things up!
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