BASTIEN HERY COULD be taking on the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Wilfried Zaha later this month.
The midfielder, who was named in the PFAI Team of the Year in 2018, has received his first call-up to the Madagascar senior squad.
Currently playing with Northern Irish Premiership leaders Linfield, Hery had a two-and-a-half-year spell in the League of Ireland. A season at Limerick was followed by a move to Waterford, before the 27-year-old made the switch to Belfast last summer.
Madagascar are preparing for a double-header of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ivory Coast. Hery’s side travel to face the two-time African champions in Abidjan on 27 March, before having home advantage for the return fixture in Antananarivo four days later.
Thanks to respective 1-0 and 6-2 wins over Ethiopia and Niger from the two qualifiers they’ve played so far, Madagascar sit atop Group K. Ivory Coast will be looking to rebound positively from November’s shock defeat to Ethiopia.
Hery, who was born in Paris, was capped by France at U18 level. The 27-year-old’s parents hail from Réunion, an island to the east of Madagascar.
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