The Senior national team, the Black Stars of Ghana, have dropped nine places to occupy the 61st position in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings released today, Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The downgrade of the Black Stars was as a result of the team’s worst ever performance at the AFCON tournament, failing to win a game at the just-ended tournament in Cameroon. The latest ranking is Ghana’s lowest since 2004 when the country ranked 77th.
The four time AFCON champions have also dropped out of Africa’s top 10 teams, with Burkina Faso, which finished fourth at the 2021 AFCON, replacing them.
Ghana was drawn in Group C, alongside Morocco, Gabon, and Comoros but finished bottom with just a solitary point.
Meanwhile, the team is preparing to host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in March in the final round of qualifying matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After terminating the contract of coach Milovan Rajevac just after the tournament, the GFA has appointed Ex-Black Stars player and Dortmund assistant Coach, Otto Addo, as the interim manager to lead the team in the biggest West African Double-header Derby in March.
Super Eagles ranks third
Meanwhile, Nigeria has moved up four places to the 32nd position in the latest FIFA Ranking released by the world football governing body, FIFA. Nigeria currently ranks third on the African continent.
Despite an early exit from the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Eagles put up a commanding display during the group stages, collecting all available nine points and pushed Tunisia all the way before crashing out in the Round of 16.
The team, currently led by Austin Eguavoen, was seeded against Ghana during the draw for the final World Cup play-offs in Africa as a result of being among the best five teams on the continent.
Although the current FIFA ranking may not have any immediate impact on World Cup qualifying matches, it will serve as a morale booster for the squad which is now 29 places above the Black Stars of Ghana.
Influence of the 2021 AFCON
Current AFCON champions, Senegal, maintained its spot at the top of Africa’s rankings whilst moving up to 18th in the world – its highest ever ranking. Algeria, who came into the 2021 AFCON as champions, dropped to sixth in Africa due to its poor performance in Cameroon. Algeria, just like Ghana, exited the tournament with just a point, winning none of the three group stage matches in Cameroon.
Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon, Algeria, Mali, the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso make up the top 10 best teams on the continent.
Unsurprisingly, the Cup of Nations generated most of the movement seen in this year’s first edition of the Ranking.
Aside from Senegal, Cameroon ranked 38th as it moved up 12 places in the rankings as the team finished third at the African Cup of Nations. Runners-up, Egypt now occupies the 34th, moving up 11 places.
However, the biggest jump in the current ranking was Gambia which ranked 125th in the world. The Scorpions ascending 25 places courtesy of their run to the quarter-finals at the African Cup. Equatorial Guinea, who also reached the last eight at the tournament, climbed 15 places and are now in the Top 100. Other notable rises were those of Malawi (119, + 10) and Gabon (82, + 7). Mali made more modest gains but nonetheless broke into the Top 50, moving up 5 places to occupy the 48th position.
Globally, Belgium retained the number one spot and is followed by Brazil, France, Argentina, England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Netherlands.
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