Martins (left): Photo Credit: Madagascar Football FA.
Franco-Portuguese tactician Corentin da Silva Martins has been appointed Madagascar's head coach on a year-long renewable contract.
Malagasy newspaper L’Express has confirmed the appointment of the coach who was unveiled to the press at Barea Stadium in Mahamasina. Martins has since explained why he accepted the challenge of earning the Barea qualification to the 2026 World Cup finals.
“I observed them at the CAN in 2019 in Egypt. I was with Mauritania. They are very technical footballers; small build-up but that suits me quite well. I like technical football. Indeed, they are not players of the big clubs in Europe, but they have technical value that suits me well,” he is quoted as saying.
"We are trying to achieve this objective that seems unimaginable. We are going to hang on. We are going to work to make the task difficult for our opponents. What is important is the pleasure that the players can take, among themselves, and also for the Malagasy public."
The new coach has succeeded Romuald Rakotondrabe who earned the Barea qualification for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN). The Barea were drawn alongside Tanzania, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic in the eighth CHAN edition.
CHAN was supposed to get underway from February 1 to 28 but the Confederation of African Football postponed it until this August to allow the host countries, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya finalise preparations.
The Barea qualified for the CHAN finals courtesy of goal aggregate despite losing 0-1 to Eswatini in the second round, second leg match at the Côte d'Or stadium in Mauritius last month.
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