Ten players have reported to training at the Palais des sports Mahamasina as Madagascar begins its buildup for the 3×3 Africa Cup.
The continental tournament runs from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6 in Antananarivo, lexpress.mg reported. Both the men’s and women’s national teams, known as the Ankoay, returned to the court to defend the dual titles they won last year.
Jean de Dieu Randrianarivelo, who coaches the men’s Ankoay squad, called up ten players for the initial camp, with seven attending the opening afternoon session. Preparations focus heavily on physical conditioning, shooting accuracy, and tactical combinations to build floor chemistry. Erick Miarantiana Rakotondravao oversees the physical workload as the team’s trainer.
“Ce qui attend les Ankoay ne sera pas facile,” Jean de Dieu Randrianarivelo said, according to lexpress.mg. “Madagascar est l’adversaire à batte pour tous les pays durant cette joute continentale à domicile. Nous n’avons pas le droit à l’erreur sur nos terres.”
Tournament organizers expect 18 men’s teams and 14 women’s formations in Madagascar for the event. Egypt enters both draws looking to unseat the host nation after finishing behind the Ankoay during the previous competition. Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, and Angola also field squads in both divisions.
“L’Égypte, hommes et dames, a une revanche à prendre à Madagascar, car elle n’a pas digéré le double titre obtenu par nos porte-fanions lors de la dernière édition,” Jean de Dieu Randrianarivelo told lexpress.mg.
Competition matches begin on Dec. 3 at the Palais des sports Mahamasina.
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