Fifa rankings: Kenya's free fall continues
Harambee Stars players training at the Safaricom Stadium on August 1, 2014 ahead of a past Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Stars have slumped further in the latest Fifa world rankings after slipping seven places to position 111. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
Kenya was ranked position 104 last in August, a month after an improved 95th rank in July.
Algeria, four places up, remain the best-ranked nation on the continent at position 20 while Germany still tops the rankings followed by Argentina, Colombia, Netherlands and Belgium.
The national football team Harambee Stars has slumped further in the latest Fifa world rankings after slipping seven places to position 111.
Kenya was ranked position 104 last in August, a month after an improved 95th rank in July.
(READ: Kenya makes top 100 in six years)
With the national team out of the ongoing 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers after falling to minnows Lesotho in the pre-group stages qualifiers and having not played a friendly match on a Fifa date last month, the Stars’ free fall was inevitable.
CRANES IMPROVE
In the Cecafa region, Uganda still lead the pack after their impressive showing in the opening two matches of the 2015 AFCON qualifying campaign. The Cranes — who forced Ghana to a 1-1 in Accra before slaying Guinea 2-0 in Kampala last week — have climbed two places to position 79 globally and 19th in Africa.
Neighbours Tanzania have dropped five places to position 115 on the world scene and 33rd in Africa while Rwanda, under coach Stephen Constantine, have jumped eight places to rank 93rd globally and 25th on the continent.
Kenya, 26th in Africa, succumbed to a 0-1 defeat to Egypt in a friendly match in Aswan City late last month, although this did not count for the ranking as it was outside the Fifa dates for international build-up matches.
Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson told Nation Sport the technical bench is working towards improving the standards of football but was quick to add that turning the fortunes of the Kenyan football will take time.
“We are all working towards that goal (improving performances) but this will take time. It’s one of our long-term plans to have the team climb to higher positions in the rankings,” said the Scot.
“We have a friendly match against Morocco next month which provides us with another opportunity to bounce back,” he added.
The national team is set to face 2015 African Cup of Nations hosts Morocco in Marrakech on October 13.
Algeria, four places up, remain the best-ranked nation on the continent at position 20 while Germany still tops the rankings followed by Argentina, Colombia, Netherlands and Belgium.
