Madagascar secured a vital 2-0 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday night in their Group B clash at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024.

The win, powered by two late goals from substitutes Toky Rakotondraibe and Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa, has breathed new life into Madagascar’s qualification campaign while ending CAR’s tournament dreams.

The match, played at the Benjamin Mkapa National Stadium, was a high-stakes affair for both teams, who were yet to secure a win in their first two fixtures.

The opening half was a hard-fought battle with plenty of effort but little in the way of genuine scoring opportunities.

Both sides showed a frantic tempo, but struggled with their finishing in promising positions. CAR had early chances through Ange Zoumara and Juvénal Pouguy, while Madagascar’s Jean Ranaivoson forced a good save from the goalkeeper.

Madagascar’s coach, Romuald Rakotondrabe, made a decisive move at halftime, introducing four substitutes to inject more attacking urgency.

The changes paid off, as the team slowly began to take control of the game. However, it was CAR who threatened first in the second half, with Ghislain Mounguide testing the Madagascan goalkeeper Michel Ramandimbisoa twice.

As fatigue set in for the CAR defense, the breakthrough finally came in the 84th minute. After a blocked shot fell to his feet, substitute Toky Rakotondraibe calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to give Madagascar the lead.

With CAR pushing for an equalizer, Madagascar sealed the victory in stoppage time on a swift counter-attack. Rakotondraibe turned provider, assisting Lalaina Rafanomezantsoa, who fired past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

The result marks a crucial turning point for Madagascar, moving them to four points in Group B and keeping their hopes of advancing to the next round alive.

Their fate now rests on the outcome of the later match between Burkina Faso and Mauritania. For the Central African Republic, the loss confirms their elimination from the tournament, extending their streak of group-stage exits to three in three CHAN appearances.

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