Zacharie Boucher’s long-awaited opportunity to play international football for Madagascar has ended before he could even join his first Barea camp.
The Madagascar Football Federation has withdrawn the 34-year-old goalkeeper from its squad after comments he made eight years ago resurfaced following his maiden call-up.
Boucher had been named by coach Corentin Martins in Madagascar’s 25-man squad for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Madagascar visit Nigeria on September 25 before facing Tanzania four days later as they begin their qualification campaign for the East African tournament.
His selection was particularly notable because Boucher, who plays for French Ligue 2 side Troyes, had never previously represented Madagascar at senior level.
However, attention quickly shifted from his potential debut after an interview he gave to Ouest-France in October 2018 resurfaced.
At the time, former Madagascar coach Nicolas Dupuis had expressed interest in bringing Boucher into the national team ahead of the country’s historic qualification for the 2019 AFCON.
Boucher, then playing for Auxerre, firmly rejected the possibility and stressed his attachment to France.
“I’m French, I’ve never been Malagasy,” Boucher said in the interview, before adding that if Madagascar’s coach called him, “the answer is no.”
Boucher also declared his attachment to the French national team, having represented the country throughout several youth levels.
“The France shirt is important to me,” he said, adding that he did not intend to represent another country at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Eight years later, his decision to accept Madagascar’s invitation brought those comments back into the spotlight.
The remarks generated criticism in Madagascar, including from former internationals who questioned his commitment to representing the country.
Former Madagascar international Lalaina Nomenjanahary argued that wearing the national shirt was an honour, while former captain Faneva Andriatsima similarly criticised treating international representation as a secondary option.
The controversy eventually reached the Malagasy Football Federation, which met to consider the situation before announcing Boucher’s withdrawal on September 19.
The federation acknowledged an important detail surrounding the original interview, saying Boucher made the comments when he was unaware that he was eligible to represent Madagascar.
“After exchanges between the different parties, it was decided not to retain the player for the next Barea gathering,” the federation said in its statement.
Boucher was born in Saint-Pierre on the French island of Réunion and developed through Le Havre’s youth system before playing for several French clubs.
His career has included spells with Toulouse, Auxerre, Angers and Bastia, while he also played in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki before joining Troyes.
Internationally, Boucher represented France across several youth categories, progressing from the Under-16 level to the Under-21 team, but never earned a senior cap.
His Madagascar opportunity arrived at 34, with Martins initially selecting him alongside goalkeepers Geordan Dupire and Nina Rakotoasimbola.
Boucher and striker Roman Ferber were confirmed as the two newcomers in Madagascar’s squad on September 17, within two days, however, Boucher’s first call-up had been withdrawn.
Whether Boucher will be considered again for future Madagascar squads remains unclear, with the federation’s announcement specifically referring to the upcoming national-team gathering.