Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-04-06 02:45:00
The football enthusiasts are concerned about Madagascar’s ability to host the matches for the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The information surrounding this event has been tightly guarded. The press struggled to cover the visit of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) envoy, Namibian Josua Andries Hoebeb, to Madagascar to evaluate the approval of the infrastructure to host international matches.
More than seven media outlets present were denied coverage of this highly anticipated event by fans of Malagasy football. The press was not allowed access to the stadium during the inspection by the CAF envoy. Journalists were unable to pass through the usual P3 entrance gate on working days. The assessment by the CAF inspector remains a question mark.
He visited several facilities, including the main one, the Barea stadium. Upon arrival, he inspected the Ivato International Airport. The next day, he completed a full tour of the Barea stadium, the nearby hospitals, and the stadium’s lighting projectors in the early evening. He was accompanied by Sarindra Randrianasolo from the Malagasy Football Federation and others during his stay on the island.
In Malagasy fashion, the tracing was only done around 6 am yesterday to be ready for evaluation. The African official arrived at the Barea stadium at 7:30 am, according to the security agent on duty to inspect the pitch, stands, and everything under the stands. He truly walked around the stadium. The inspector devoted more than two and a half hours at Mahamasina. The watering and sound system were tested during their visit.
Late Reaction
Federation President Alfred Randriamanampisoa was there from 9:06 am to 9:30 am. He preferred not to answer questions from journalists. “He himself should answer your questions,” he said.
“The pitch is not a problem. The natural grass grows well. Just let it grow back before the next match. The grass did not have enough time to host the friendly tournament. Normally, to have a perfect natural grass pitch, it is necessary to completely replant the playing area,” said a source responsible for the facilities.
In his schedule, the CAF delegate was supposed to visit the hospitals nearby, the training grounds of the Barea annex stadium and the By-pass stadium, and check the stadium lighting in the early evening yesterday. This morning, he should inspect the hotels nearby.
The CAF inspector will leave Madagascar early this afternoon. It remains to be seen what decision the international body will make after this inspection, as no modifications have been made after the report required about twenty recommendations. Could FIFA and CAF extend the rehabilitation deadline for the requirements? Time is passing quickly; the next Barea matches against Comoros and Mali will take place in two months, starting in early June. If the stadium is not approved, Madagascar will have to play its scheduled home matches elsewhere.
By Serge Rasanda.
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
