CHAN: CAR versus Madagascar will be a final for us – Ngato

Central African Republic (CAR) head coach Sébastien Ngato has called on his charges to deliver victory on their independence celebration when they take on Madagascar in their third fixture of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Wednesday.

For Ngato’s side, the August 13 Group B fixture at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania is not simply a fixture date — it’s a national celebration. The coach has made it clear that victory on such a symbolic day would be a gift to the people back home.

“We will face Madagascar in what will be a final for us. This match coincides with our country’s Independence Day, and we want to represent our nation honourably. We will give everything to win on 13 August, which has great significance in our country. I spoke to the players about the importance of this day,” said Ngato as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“We have four games in this tournament. No match is without importance. We aim to win the next two, and I have motivated the players accordingly. Our defeats are a collective responsibility. We have made adjustments, especially in attack, and tried to strengthen our defence in recent days.”

On what his side must improve against Madagascar, he said: “The people make mistakes, whether individual or collective, and by making mistakes they learn. We have worked on both the mental and technical sides with our players. I have told our goalkeeper about his errors, but I don’t think I will change him.”

CAR midfielder Ghislain Mogoidi, said: “We lost our first two games, which we did not expect. Our match against Madagascar falls on Independence Day, and we will play well to make our people proud. Preparations have been good. On such a day, we cannot lose — and if we win, our people will be very happy.

“We respect Madagascar, but we won’t be overconfident. We will work to win, and the opposing coach is right to be cautious of our performance.”