Madagascar Barea beat visitors Ethiopia Walia Ibex 1-0 in Antananarivo on Saturday to get their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign off to a solid start.

In the first match of Group K, the contest was settled by a solitary goal from Rayan Raveleson in the 19th minute.

Madagascar made their debut at the 2019 Nations Cup finals in Egypt reaching the quarter finals.

The win over Ethiopia on Saturday was particularly poignant for Madagascar striker Faneva Andriatsima who had already confirmed that he would retire from international football after the qualifier.

The 35-year-old, who plays for Saudi Arabian club Abha, is Madagascar’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 14 goals in 42 appearances.

2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying results:

Saturday:

• Madagascar 1-0 Ethiopia (Group K)
• Ivory Coast v Niger (Group K)

Friday:

• Morocco 0-0 Mauritania (Group E)
• Zimbabwe 0-0 Botswana (Group H)
• Tanzania 2-1 Equatorial Guinea (Group J)
• Tunisia 4-1 Libya (Group J)

Thursday:

• Mali 2-2 Guinea (Group A)
• Ghana 2-0 South Africa (Group C)
• DR Congo 0-0 Gabon (Group D)
• Mozambique 2-0 Rwanda (Group F)
• Egypt 1-1 Kenya (Group G)
• Togo 0-1 Comoros (Group G)
• Algeria 5-0 Zambia (Group H)

Wednesday:

• Namibia 2-1 Chad (Group A)
• Malawi 1-0 South Sudan (Group B)
• Burkina Faso 0-0 Uganda (Group B)
• Sudan 4-0 Sao Tome and Principe (Group C)
• Angola 1-3 The Gambia (Group D)
• CAR 2-0 Burundi (Group E)
• Cameroon 0-0 Cape Verde (Group F)
• Guinea Bissau 3-0 Eswatini (Group I)
• Senegal 2-0 Congo (Group I)
• Nigeria 2-1 Benin (Group L)
• Sierra Leone 1-1 Lesotho (Group L)