Madagascar's government has rewarded the country's football team for qualifying for a first Africa Cup of Nations finals.

The Barea sealed a place at next year's finals in Cameroon after Tuesday's 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea.

Madagascar's acting President Rivo Rakotovao handed over a total of U$28,150 (£21,485) to the squad and technical staff for their efforts.

"They are also awarded with National Honours for their merit in reaching the finals phase of Nations Cup 2019 in Cameroon," a statement added.

Madagascar, 106th in Fifa's world rankings, belied their status as a minor football nation with a shock 2-2 draw with 2018 World Cup finalist Senegal and back-to-back wins over Equatorial Guinea to become the 40th different nation to qualify for the Nations Cup finals.