The head coach of an African powerhouse has lamented the distance of travelling to South Africa to play their Africa Cup of Nations qualification match.
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During the ongoing international break, several African nations will utilise South Africa as a neutral ground to host their respective AFCON qualifiers.
There are plenty of countries on the continent without CAF-approved stadia, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts continue to facilitate venues for official matches.
Along with Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Central African Republic, Namibia and Eswatini, Madagascar will play their home fixture on the southern tip of the continent during the final phase of qualification for the continental showpiece.
They will host North African giants Tunisia at Loftus Versfeld on Thursday evening for their penultimate 2025 AFCON qualifier.
During a pre-match press conference, Soccer Laduma quizzed Carthage Eagles head coach Kais Yaakoubi on whether playing at a neutral venue would be advantageous for the 2004 African champions, and the 58-year-old stated he was wary of having to travel a long distance from their homeland.
"An advantage? I'm not so sure about this because South Africa is far away from Tunisia, so we feel tired because of the long trip," he said.
"However, we will try and look for the freshness from the players and we have confidence in our ability and capacity to get the three points against Madagascar."
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A win for Yaakoubi's charges will guarantee qualification for the continental spectacle in Morocco in late 2025.
By Kamogelo Motecwane
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