Flames move 3 steps up on FIFA ranking from 134 to 131 in the world and 39th in Africa

* If the Flames had done well in their previous four matches, they were likely to have moved much higher up

* They would have probably been lauded as biggest movers in the FIFA world ranking, which has been achieved by Niger

* Niger emerged as the standout performer following their impressive wins against Sudan (4-0) and Ghana (2-1) in the AfCON qualifiers, gaining 31.23 points

Maravi Express

Following the goalless draw against Burundi away before defeating Burkina Faso 3-0 at home in the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025, the Flames have moved three steps up on FIFA ranking from 134 to 131 in the world and 39th in Africa.

If the Flames, who were eliminated in the qualifying race with two games remaining, had done well in their previous four matches, they were likely to have moved much higher up.

But they were badly beaten in all four matches in which they conceded 11 goals; 2-3 to Burundi, 1-3 to Burkina Faso and back-to-back 0-4 and 0-1 against Senegal.

They would have probably been lauded as biggest movers in the FIFA world ranking, which has been achieved by Niger, who have moved up nine places to 122nd in the world and 34th in Africa.

Niger emerged as the standout performer in this month’s rankings following their impressive wins against Sudan (4-0) and Ghana (2-1) in the AfCON qualifiers, gaining 31.23 points. 

Meanwhile, Morocco has retained its position as the top-ranked African nation but despite their continued dominance on the continent, the Atlas Lions have slipped one spot in the global rankings, moving from 13th to 14th due to Uruguay’s surge after their impressive performances.

The Atlas Lions displayed remarkable form during the November international break in the AfCON qualifiers, securing emphatic wins over Gabon (5-1) and Lesotho (7-0) — which added 6.61 points to their tally, yet it wasn’t enough to maintain their position on the global stage.

Uruguay’s climb, fueled by gaining over 15 points, saw them leapfrog Morocco into 11th place.

Algeria has risen to 4th place in Africa, overtaking Nigeria, which endured a dismal international break in which the Super Eagles drew 1-1 with Benin and suffered a 2-1 defeat against Rwanda, resulting in a significant loss of 21.06 points.

This drop saw Nigeria plummet from 36th to 44th in the global rankings, sliding into 5th place in Africa.

Algeria avoided a similar fate by securing a 5-1 win against Liberia and a goalless draw with Equatorial Guinea, maintaining their 36th spot globally despite a slight points reduction.

Senegal has moved up three places to 17th in the world, consolidating its position as the second-best team in Africa following key victories over Burkina Faso (1-0) and Burundi (2-0). The Lions of Teranga are now edging closer to their best-ever FIFA ranking.

After qualifying for the AfCON Morocco 2025 with an unbeaten run, in which they scored 16 goals in six matches, Council for the Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) member, South Africa are now 57th on the globe and 10th on the continent.

Another COSAFA member, who has also continued its remarkable rise, Comoros, moved up five places to 103rd globally and 23rd in Africa.

COSAFA members in the top 20 are South Africa (11/57); Angola (17/85) and Zambia (18/87), who all qualified for the AfCON Morocco 2025 alongside Mozambique (22/99), Botswana Comoros (30/118), Zimbabwe (34/124) and Botswana (44/147).

The other nations at the AfCON 2025 are hosts Morocco (1/14), Senegal (2/17), Egypt (3/33), Algeria (4/37), Nigeria (5/44), Côte d’Ivoire (6/46), Cameroon (7/49), Mali (9/51), Tunisia (10/52) in the top 10 FIFA ranking.

Followed by DR Congo (12/61), Burkina Faso (13/66th), Gabon (16/84), Benin (18/89), Uganda (19/90), Equatorial Guinea (20/93) in the top 20 with Tanzania (26/110) and Sudan (32/120).—Content by CAFonline; edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express