Madagascar smashed Kyrgyzstan 5-2 on 28 March 2026 at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya, a result that felt like a mission statement from Corentin Martins as his side closed this international window with authority.
They hit full speed inside five minutes. A. Randrianantenaina scored in the 5th minute, punishing Kyrgyzstan’s first lapse. T. Fontaine doubled the lead in the 15th minute, W. Caddy made it three in the 24th minute, and by the 42nd minute C. Couturier added the fourth. Madagascar were ruthless, every transition turning into clean territory in front of S. Chomoev.
Martins again trusted the same fluid front line that beat higher-ranked sides last year, and it showed. Randrianantenaina and H. Abdallah kept dragging markers wide, Fontaine stepped out from defence with the assurance of a makeshift quarterback, and R. Raveloson supplied the tempo. Kyrgyzstan under M. Lisitsyn were left chasing shadows in their own half, unable to slow the rhythm or plant a foothold.
Lisitsyn reacted after the interval, sending B. Almazbekov on to occupy the box. The substitute scored in the 57th minute and turned provider for B. Kochkonbaev in the 61st minute. Those two strikes gave Kyrgyzstan a pulse and unsettled a Madagascan back line that had coasted through the first half.
Caddy closed the door in the 78th minute with Madagascar’s fifth. His movement kept the Kyrgyz centre backs stretched even as legs tired, and he leaves Antalya with two goals and a clear message ahead of the June qualifiers. Martins could even afford to rotate in the closing stages, protecting M. Ilaimaharitra and other senior figures for the trip home.
Kyrgyzstan’s issues are structural. Their starting setup, listed without a clear formation, paired K. Brauzman and A. Polev but offered little protection for the final line. The midfield band never stopped the supply into Madagascar’s forwards, and once Lisitsyn introduced Almazbekov he looked their only reliable route forward. The Antalya camp exposed how far they remain from competitive rhythm.
Madagascar, likewise named without a formal shape on the team sheet, looked far more coherent. Martins has a tight core of G. Dupire, Fontaine, Raveloson, and Caddy that understands the timing required to break lines quickly. Even without the ball they were disciplined enough to funnel Kyrgyzstan wide and wait for errors.
Key stats:
- Goals: Kyrgyzstan 2 (Almazbekov 57, Kochkonbaev 61); Madagascar 5 (Randrianantenaina 5, Fontaine 15, Caddy 24 and 78, Couturier 42).
Madagascar return to Antananarivo with belief restored, targeting a fast start to the summer’s World Cup qualifiers. Kyrgyzstan stay in camp with urgent work ahead before their next friendly, needing Lisitsyn to rewire a defence that conceded four times before the break.
