Several African nations saw their world rankings soar in the aftermath of strong performances at the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament held across Cameroon. In the latest FIFA men’s rankings released on February 10th, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Angola and others made significant gains after impressive showings at AFCON propelled them up the global table.
Côte d’Ivoire national team’s remarkable performance on home soil at the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) resulted in a ten place climb to 39th in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, underscoring their impressive tournament showing.
Released just four days after the conclusion of the AFCON, the new rankings highlight significant movements among several African sides that took part in the competition. While the top 10 positions remained unchanged, numerous Confederation of African Football (CAF) region teams made noteworthy advances.
Nigeria, the AFCON runners-up, surged 14 places to 28th, exhibiting their strong play throughout the tournament.
However, it was Angola that registered the biggest leap, climbing 24 spots to 93rd after impressing with their run in the competition.
Senegal matched their highest ever FIFA position of 17th, despite exiting in the round of 16 against Côte d’Ivoire.
Other African nations that saw notable ranking improvements include Equatorial Guinea (79th, up 9), South Africa (58th, up 8), Cape Verde (65th, up 8), Namibia (107th, up 8) and Mali (47th, up 4).
As the latest FIFA rankings underscore, recent continental championships carry significant impacts on the global football landscape, with African and Asian teams notably progressing. With future qualifying competitions for the AFCON and World Cup looming, the new standings provide valuable context on international placement going forward.
The next FIFA men’s world ranking is scheduled for April 4th, set to deliver further updates on the constantly evolving state of the beautiful game across football’s regions.
