Madagascar have withdrawn French-born goalkeeper Zacharie Boucher from their squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after controversial comments he made in 2018 resurfaced.
The 34-year-old Troyes goalkeeper was initially handed his first senior call-up by Madagascar coach Corentin Martins on September 17 for the upcoming qualifiers against Nigeria and Tanzania.
However, just two days later, the Malagasy Football Federation announced that Boucher would no longer be part of the squad.
According to the federation, the coach was informed about comments made by the goalkeeper several years ago, prompting the decision to withdraw him from the team.
The development follows renewed attention to a 2018 interview in which Boucher reportedly expressed his desire to represent France rather than Madagascar.
At the time, the goalkeeper made it clear that he wanted to wear the France shirt and rejected the possibility of representing Madagascar at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Boucher reportedly said the France shirt was important to him and that he had no intention of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations with another country.
The comments were made in October 2018 when Boucher was being considered for a possible call-up to the Madagascar national team. French newspaper L’Équipe reported that the goalkeeper had been approached by Madagascar but turned down the opportunity.
Born in Saint-Pierre, Réunion, Boucher has Malagasy heritage and represented France at various youth levels, including the Under-21 side. However, he never made a senior appearance for the French national team.
Madagascar are now preparing for their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, with the Barea scheduled to travel to face Nigeria on September 25 before hosting Tanzania on September 29 in Group L.
The withdrawal of Boucher comes as Madagascar seek to secure a return to the Africa Cup of Nations after missing out on the previous edition.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar