Dakar 2026: Madagascar's Makis Ladies stun USA and Spain to reach the rugby sevens last four
Two games, two wins: 12-10 over the United States and 19-12 over Spain. Madagascar can no longer finish outside the top two in their pool at the Youth Olympics.
SNA – Multisport · Author profile · · Updated 02/11/2026 22:27 UTC
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One kick was the difference. Madagascar and the United States scored two tries apiece at Stade Iba-Mar-Diop on Monday, but only Sariaka Raveloarisoa landed a conversion, and it gave the Makis Ladies a 12-10 win. Two and a half hours later, the under-18 side beat Spain 19-12.
That already settles the arithmetic. The Americans and Spaniards have lost twice and cannot match Madagascar's wins, and the top two in each pool go through to the semi-finals. Unbeaten Czechia stand between Madagascar and first place on Tuesday at 10:24 GMT.
Sixteen points for Raveloarisoa
The official match sheets give three scorers. Raveloarisoa made 16 of Madagascar's 31 points, with a try and a conversion against the USA and a try and two conversions against Spain. Soa Landy crossed in both games, and Tracy Ftiavananomenjanahary added the third try against Spain.
This was also the team's first outing on an Olympic stage, the site Foot Gasy noted. Malagasy Rugby president Marcel Rakotomalala had framed the campaign in late October as one step in a long-term plan for the women's game.
Built on a sunburnt pitch
RFI's correspondent watched them train at the Stade Maki in Andohatapenaka the week before they flew, after a mid-October camp in Tunisia. Coach Dina Razafindratsara described a squad of twelve with uneven backgrounds: some raised in rugby schools, others only two years into the sport.
Physiotherapist Zo Andrianantenaina was frank about the gaps. There is no proper nutrition support, she told RFI, and some players eat only twice a day. "Our strong point is the mental side," she said, in remarks translated by SNA.
Kenya there too
Kenya are in the same position in the other pool after beating China 12-5 and Senegal 19-0, and meet Australia at 10:02 GMT on Tuesday. So two of the four semi-finalists will be African. Senegal, also beaten 32-0 by Australia, face China at 09:40 before the fifth-to-eighth bracket.
The semi-finals are set for 13:52 and 14:14 GMT and the gold medal match for 17:03. The full schedule is on our Dakar 2026 page.