El Hadary Raheriniaina needed only a few touches in his debut against FC Rouen to show Valenciennes FC fans that they were witnessing a special talent. Three matches and two goals later, the entire French third division is already convinced that it is witnessing the rise of a special footballer from Madagascar who will be lighting up pitches up and down the country this season.
However, thousands of miles away on the French-speaking island perched off of Africa’s east coast, the young Malagasy’s impressive start in the French third division comes as no surprise. He may only be 19 years old, but Barea fans have been enjoying his silky skills for two years now.
“I was 17 when I started playing in World Cup qualifiers,” Raheriniaina begins. “First of all, I’m so proud to be playing for the national team and when I play, I try to enjoy it and not put too much pressure on myself. In football, as Kylian Mbappe said, ‘Don’t talk about age!’” (he laughs).
While he has quickly built a solid reputation with the Madagascar national team, Raheriniaina needed no introduction on the island as his family is already well-known in those parts. His father, Clauvis, was also a professional footballer back in his day — “but he was a substitute,” Raheriniaina says — while his cousin Anicet Abel captained the Barea before becoming the first Malagasy footballer to play in the UEFA Champions League with Ludogorets Razgrad.
“Football runs through our veins,” he says with a smile.
The youngster has burst onto the international scene at the perfect time. The Madagascar national team are enjoying their best-ever FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaign. Buoyed by the additional places allocated to African teams, the Barea are dreaming of a spot at next year’s global showpiece with two matches still to play — a goal that was not necessarily in their sights when qualification began.
“When the national team plays, everyone stops what they’re doing and watches the games. It gives us a lot of strength and energy,” continues Raheriniaina. “We’re playing for our country and we want to make history — and I believe we’ll do it. There’s a great atmosphere in the team and we always try to give everything in every match.”
Despite his youth, Raheriniaina is already a key cog within the team, with his energy and technical ability constantly controlling the pace and pushing the team forward. In his sensational debut against Chad in qualifying, he registered two assists in 20 minutes in Madagascar’s 3-0 win. “And in the previous match against Ghana, we dominated the second half. I came on and almost scored but unfortunately they grabbed a last-minute winner.”
Inaki Williams’ 96th-minute winner means that Madagascar sit second in Group I, three points behind the Black Stars with two matches remaining.
However, Raheriniaina has no doubts about the run-in of the qualifying campaign: “The goal is to win our matches against Comoros and Mali, and the rest depends on Ghana because I think that one win will be enough for them to qualify. Their destiny is in their own hands. All we can do is try to win our matches and see what happens.”
A second-placed finish in Group I could see the Barea head to a play-off round as one of the best group runners-up, and the talented youngster is preparing himself for any eventuality. The ability to adapt has been key for the Mahajanga native since the beginning of his promising career. After a brief spell in the Seychelles, he was given his big break in France with Paris FC, where the culture shock presented him with some real challenges.
“It was really difficult for me at the start,” he admits. “Adapting to French culture was hard. Even the meals are different because in Madagascar we eat rice, and there’s rice in France, but it’s not the same, it’s never the same. The weather is different, too. I arrived here in winter and it was really hard to adapt. But I told myself to hang in there — since it was my goal to play in Europe.”
Indeed, the attacking midfielder showed his mettle. He shone with the youth teams at Paris FC, but lacked the experience required to play for the senior team in Ligue 1, and was sent out on loan to Valenciennes FC which has provided a perfect platform for him to develop.
As he improves his physicality and refines his game, the Malagasy prodigy is keen to put his experience in France to good use when he pulls on the shirt for Madagascar in the upcoming October international break. If results go their way, perhaps Madagascar will indeed have their fairytale ending in the qualifiers and punch their ticket to their first-ever World Cup.
“Madagascar have already competed once in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, so playing in a World Cup would be incredible. It would be a dream come true,” he notes.
Photos : Toky Ramisamanana
