Marco Ilaimaharitra (born 26 July 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the Belgian First Division A club Sporting Charleroi. Born in France, he is a former member of its the under-19 and under-20 national teams but represents Madagascar at senior international level.
Club career
Born in Mulhouse, Ilaimaharitra started his career with his hometown club, AS Coteaux Mulhouse. Later, he joined FC Mulhouse. In 2008, he joined the youth team of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. His professional debut came on 14 December 2013, in a 1–0 away defeat against OGC Nice. Four days later, he featured in the Coupe de la Ligue against OGC Nice.
International career
Ilaimaharitra was born in France, and is of Malagasy and Réunionnais descent. Previously a youth international for France, he made his debut for Madagascar in a friendly match against Comoros on 11 November 2017.
On 27 June 2019, Ilaimaharitra scored a late 76th minute free-kick against Burundi to secure a 1–0 win and historic first ever win for Madagascar in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
Scores and results list Madagascar's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ilaimaharitra goal.