STARS a next Level in the FIFA Rankings

 

TANZANIA has climbed three slots in the latest FIFA World Ranking released yesterday to occupy the 132nd place despite its exit from the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The December edition of the FIFA World Ranking was dominated by 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia qualifiers.

137 matches were taken into account for the latest ranking of which more than two thirds (92 games) were World Cup qualifiers; eight of the 137 games were playoff matches to determine the final four teams to qualify for EURO 2016, and the remaining 37 matches were international friendlies. Taifa Stars, who were ranked 135th previously, could have climbed higher if they had managed to eliminate Algeria in the qualifiers.

Their dreams to proceed into the2018 World Cup qualifiers group stage vanished after they suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat from the Algeria’s Desert Foxes. Tanzania managed to hold Algeria to 2-2 draw in the first leg match of the qualifiers in Dar es Salaam last month before being punished 7-0 in the return leg match in Algeria, the painful results showed Stars an exit door by 9-2 goals in aggregate.

While Tanzania has climbed up two positions, neighbours Kenya for the first time in a long period has stormed back into the top 100 moving 27 position from the previous position of 125 to settle in the 98th position. Another member of Cecafa, Uganda has continued to prove the region’s soccer powerhouse by moving up five positions from 68 they previously held to 63th this time.

The improvement of Uganda can be attributed to their win over Togo in World Cup qualifiers early last month. Uganda won 1-0 in the first leg match before winning 3-0 in the return leg to eliminate the Togolese from the qualifiers while Kenya’s improvement can be attributed to their first leg win over Cape Verde in World Cup qualifiers. In Africa, Tanzania is place 42nd while Kenya is in the 25th position and Uganda are in the 13-placed.

At the top of the continental ranking are Ivory Coast who are followed by Algeria while Ghana occupy the third slot In the CECAFA region Tanzania is in the sixth position with Uganda in the lead and Kenya is second behind them while followed by Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia respectively.

Rwanda are placed 101 globally while Burundi and Ethiopia are in 112 and 120 positions respectively. Globally, Belgium remains top followed by Germany, Argentina, Spain and Chile who occupy the top five positions.

A first-place finish on the last ranking of the year sees Belgium claim the Team of the Year award for 2015. The Red Devils jumped into first position (their first-ever) on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking in the November ranking, but a 3-1 victory over fourtime world champions Italy in Brussels on 13 November, saw them hold on to the coveted position for the final ranking of 2015.

The past year has proved to be highly competitive with ranking runners-up Argentina and third-placed Spain outpacing 2014 Team of the Year Germany on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World ranking for 2015.

Meanwhile, Turkey has been named the best mover of the year thanks to the 329 points they collected over the last 12 months of football. The next FIFA /Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 7 January 2016.