Madagascar head coach, Corentin Martins has admitted that his side’s 2–1 defeat to Nigeria in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier was a difficult result to accept, insisting that the Barea did not deserve to lose.
Madagascar took an early lead through Kari Eshan, but Nigeria fought back courtesy of goals from debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor.
Ilenikhena restored parity in the 45th minute before Usor completed the comeback in the 65th minute to hand the Super Eagles all three points.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Martins expressed his disappointment with the outcome.
“This defeat is hard to take for me and my players because we didn’t deserve to lose in the manner that we did. We had a chance of going 2–1 up but didn’t take it,” Martins said.
The French coach also acknowledged the difference in experience between the two teams, pointing to Nigeria’s greater exposure to high-level matches and top European leagues as a key factor.
According to Martins, the defeat provides an important learning experience for his players, many of whom are still developing at international level.
“It’s a learning curve for me and my players, who are not at the level of the Nigerian players, who are used to playing big games because they play for top teams in the top leagues,” he added.
The Barea will host the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in a matchday two encounter next week Tuesday.