By Mark Gleeson

Madagascar (in green) will play with an inexperienced squad

Madagascar's two representatives in African competitions have refused to release players to the national team for this weekend's Cosafa Cup tournament in Mauritius.

USJF Ravinala and Uscafoot said they are preparing for matches in the Champions League and Confederation Cup, on the weekend of March 5-6.

USJF Ravinala are to host South African giants Kaizer Chiefs in the second round of the Champions League while Uscafoot are also at home in the first leg to Al-Merreikh of Sudan in the Confederation Cup.

The decision has left new coach Jean Francois Dhebon and his assistant Bonaventure Velonosy having to scramble for players to compete in the mini- tournament.

However, the Cosafa Cup squad will be fortified by two players based with clubs in Mauritius, strikers Dedy Joseph Robson and Praxis Rabemananjara.

They will be the only players in the squad with previous international experience, leaving Madagascar as underdogs in the tournament's second semi-final game against Mauritius on Saturday.

The Scorpions, Madagascar's national side, had selected 15 players from the two clubs in a preliminary squad of 26.

But they have had to reshuffle the selection and cut down the squad size down to 18, largely made up of under-23 players.

With Madagascar not qualifying for the group phase of the current World Cup qualifiers, the island is not due to play in a competitive football until next year.

They are using the Cosafa Cup to build a side that will bid for a place at the 2008 Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana.

Also playing in the Mauritius mini-tournament are South Africa and the Seychelles, who meet in the first of Saturday's semi-finals at the New George V stadium.