Fifa rankings: Harambee Stars remain static
What you need to know:
- Since the July release, Kenya has played three matches.
- Kenya was knocked out of the 2020 African Nations Championship qualification on post-match penalties by Tanzania in the first round after the two legs finished 0-0.
Kenya has remained unchanged in position 107 in the latest Fifa rankings announced on Thursday, with most Cecafa countries moving up.
In the last release on July 25, Kenya had dropped two places to 107 after a disappointing African Cup of Nations campaign in Egypt. Francis Kimanzi’s side retains the 1,201 points in the latest release.
Since the July release, Kenya has played three matches. Kenya was knocked out of the 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualification on post-match penalties by Tanzania in the first round after the two legs finished 0-0.
Kenya’s last match was against another of its neighbours, Uganda, in an entertaining friendly match which ended 1-1 on September 8 in Nairobi.
Emmanuel Okwi netted Uganda’s goal in 23rd minute before Kenya replied through Kenneth Muguna six minutes after the break.
Stars are scheduled to play Mozambique and Libya in other warm-up matches ahead of their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. Kimanzi’s charges will take on heavyweights Egypt on November 11 away, before hosting Togo on November 19 this year in its first two matches in Group “G”.
In 2020, they will entertain Comoros on August 31, travel to the Indian Ocean Island for the return match on September 8 and then welcome Egypt on October 5, before completing their campaign in Togo on November 9.
The first two sides will punch tickets to compete at the 33rd Afcon in mid-2021. In the latest Fifa rankings, Egypt stays in 49th spot worldwide, Togo jumped from 128th to 124 and the Islanders are now slotted at position 147 from 146.
Libyans are up three places to 102, while Mozambique jumps from 116 to 112.
In the East and Central Africa region popularly known as Cecafa, Uganda still tops the charts at position 80, followed by Kenya (107), Sudan is up one place to 128, Rwanda has ascended three places to 130, Tanzania moves up from 137 to 135, Burundi (four spots up to 144), Ethiopia (one place down to 151), South Sudan (four positions down to 173), Djibouti (nine places up to 186), Somalia (three spots up to 199) and Eritrea drops from 202 to 207.
The latest rankings includes all national team matches played from July 22.
Belgium retains top spot with World champions France dislodging Copa America winners Brazil from second spot. England are behind Brazil in fourth place, with Nations League champions Portugal switching position five with Uruguay, who have dropped one spot to sixth.
Spain have leapfrogged Croatia and Colombia to settle in seventh place and push the two countries one spot each to eighth and ninth respectively. Argentina close the top-10 bracket.
