Posted in News on Mar 04, 2005.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League 2005 early games are by no means a walk in the park for the South Africans, particularly when one takes into consideration the playing conditions away from home, writes Mputumi Putco Mafani in Madagascar.
Pampered by nature, Madagascar does not live purely by its cash crops but the country has other assets, which make it renown in the world. In the field of tourism the island has plenty to interest holidaymakers and tourists as it encompasses the three areas along the Indian Ocean littoral with its tumultuous waves, which, along with the Madagascar’s East coast, is noisy and impressive.
There are also tranquil beaches with white fine sand, which provide the prospect of hours of lazing in the shades of the coconut groves, a setting which the Amakhosi players would not fail to exploit in the offer of their rooms as they did in Mauritius during their leisure time but this is not the case here in a little lazy suburb of Ilafy, which almost resembles a mixture of mountainous & laid back Mbabane (Swaziland) and Maseru (Lesotho).
As we drove from the airport we squeezed through what is obviously some of the busiest areas of the island with the majority of people either unemployed or self-employed indulging in little mushrooming business enterprises along the road. From the airport in Ivato, we then passed through a town called Anbohimanarina, a perfect resemblance of London Road, Alexandra township, north of Johannesburg.
“I thank God I am a South African”, I sighed as assistant coach Doctor Khumalo seated at the front seat tried to hide under his seat, while our mini-bus driver swerved successfully to avoid a potential collision during our squeeze drive through to Ilafy where we are.
It was obvious to the entire entourage that life is not that easy with the majority of the people of this island, 70% of whom are employed in the agricultural sector, ploughing fields for the produce of rice, potatoes, coffee and some bananas but of course herding cattle. One can be easily earn the respect of being a millionaire here, as $1 will give you 1800 Malagasy ariaries!
In the field of ecotourism, Mauritian Prime Minister Jascques Sylla must be delighted that the island is permanently watered by a rainfall of nearly 1500mm per annum, something that generates luxuriant vegetation whose presence shelters the development of an intensely active animal and plant life.
Part of this grand history, exotic appeal and rich heritage is something remote from where we are, particularly the socio-economic surroundings of the Le Suc de la Ruche Hotel, our home for the 5 days of our mission. What will be most important in the minds of the visitors is acquiring the experience of playing under unfair and disadvantageous conditions in Africa generally.
The team will be training tomorrow morning and afternoon at the Stade de Mahamasina, which will be the venue of the game come Sunday. Interestingly the Sudanese side, El Merich is also in town to face Madagascar runners up Uscafoot on Saturday at the same venue.
“May be we should ask Sudan for a practice match because we have on common goal with them, to beat the islanders and go back home”, joked coach Ted Dumitru on arrival at the hotel.
Chiefs face USJF Ravinala the reigning 1st Division league champions and Madagascar Cup champs, a club that has been at the helm of domestic football for the past five years. Before that they had been campaigning for promotion in the 2nd Division at the time when the now defunct US Transfoot dominated local soccer. Now the second best team after USJF Ravinala is USCAfoot comprised of players from the Union of Sportive Community in Antananarivo and will play the Sudanese visitors.
See you on Friday,
MERCI!
