Madagascar coach Romuald Rakotondrabe is expressing confidence ahead of their clash with Ghana in the 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium.
He made it clear that his team didn’t travel to Kumasi for holidays but have come with the aim of securing victory in the crucial match.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rakotondrabe stated, “We didn’t come to Ghana for holidays. We came here to win the game.”
This encounter marks the first match for both sides in the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Ghana and Madagascar have faced each other before, with two matches taking place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. The Black Stars emerged victorious with a 3-0 win in Cape Coast, while the return leg ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Rakotondrabe acknowledged their history against Ghana but expressed determination to secure a positive result, saying, “It’s very true that the last time we beat Ghana was in 2015, and that was a friendly. We are going to do everything possible to defeat Ghana on Friday.”
Madagascar, coming into the game with one win and one defeat in their last two matches, are eager to impress. Meanwhile, the Black Stars had a challenging October international window, suffering two defeats against Mexico and USA.
Rakotondrabe emphasised that judging Ghana based on two friendlies is not accurate, stating, “I can never judge the Black Stars based on two friendlies. Friendlies are different from qualifiers.”