Harambee Stars move up 10 places in Fifa rankings

The national football team, Harambee Stars has climbed up 10 places to sit in position 78 globally according to this month’s Fifa World rankings released on Thursday.

Stars’ ascendancy sees them amass a total of 428 points, 36 more than their tally of 392 last month.

The rise in rankings is attributed to Kenya’s impressive outing in last month’s Fifa international calendar, where Stars beat highly ranked Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Uganda in friendly matches played at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos.

The two nations played at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon with DRC reaching the quarterfinals while Uganda failed to go past the group stages. The results against the two nations extended Kenya’s unbeaten run under coach Stanley Okumbi to 10 matches.

Kenya last tasted defeat on March 27, 2016 against Guinea Bissau in an ill-tempered Cup of Nations qualifier at Nyayo Stadium. Harambee Stars’ next engagement will be against Malawi at home in yet another friendly match.

The matches are in readiness for rigorous qualification process for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Kenya was pooled in Group F in the qualifiers, together with Sierra Leone, four-time African champions Ghana and Ethiopia’s Walia Ibex.

The team will start its matches away to Sierra Leone in June this year. Kenya is placed 16th in the continent, one place behind neighbours Uganda, who are 72nd globally with 463 points. Rwanda are the next best placed side in the region at 117 while Tanzania are ranked 135th.

Continentally, Egypt, who lost this year’s Nations Cup final to Cameroon, are top followed by Senegal and Cameroon. Brazil reclaimed top spot in the world, toppling Argentina, who are struggling to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Third in the newly released rankings are world champions Germany, followed by Chile and Colombia.