Madagascar has never been considered a hotbed of football talent within the African continent. However, their performances at AFCON 2019 certainly turned some heads, and they quickly became a team favoured by the neutrals for their exciting brand of football and gung-ho approach to games. Their 2-0 victory over a Nigerian side featuring Manchester Uniteds Odion Ighalo and former Chelsea man John Obi Mikel certainly shocked the African footballing world. The footballing authorities on an island known more for a hit kids film than sport will be hoping this success propels its players into some of the top leagues.
One of the stars of the tournament for Madagascar was defensive midfielder Marco Ilaimaharitra. The Sporting Charleroi man currently plies his trade in the Belgian Pro League, where he was a constant feature for a side that finished third overall. Following a transfer from Sochaux in France, Ilaimaharitra has been ever-present for Charleroi since the 2017/18 season. At only 24 years of age, Ilaimaharitra is still developing as a footballer, and Charleroi will be hoping he can continue to improve.
This tactical analysis, in the form of a scout report, will look at the strengths of the Madagascan’s game. This analysis will focus on two key areas where he excels as a player, before explaining how these fit perfectly into the tactics preferred by his side.
Recoveries
As a predominantly defensive midfielder, Ilaimaharitra’s main job is to protect the back four by recovering the ball. The data would suggest that this is one of his stronger attributes, with an average of 9.54 recoveries per 90, alongside 4.75 counterpressing recoveries on average per 90. When we look at the below tables, we see that he makes most of his recoveries in the central third of the pitch, with pressing being the major cause of recoveries. We also see that he rarely resorts to the slide tackle, instead of focusing on his positional play and ability to read the game and his opponent.
Anticipation, positioning and reading the game help a player to recover the ball. Ilaimaharitra, while not blowing the league away in terms of the data, appears to possess all of these traits, which helps him and Charleroi in getting the ball back into their possession.
For example, in the game against KAA Gent, Ilaimaharitra showcased these abilities and helped his side to a comfortable 4-1 victory away from home. In the first image below, we see how well positioned the Madagascan is. He is close enough to close down the opposition midfielder, while also being able to close off a pass into the striker if he moves to his left.
