Black Stars drop to 9th in Africa

The Black Stars of Ghana maintained their 53rd spot on the world FIFA ranking for the month of December but dropped to ninth position on the continent.

This is the worst position by the Black Stars since Israeli trainer, Avram Grant, took over as the manager of the national team about two years ago.

Although the Black Stars did not play any games this month, their previous World Cup qualifying games against Uganda and Egypt may have influenced their current standing on the chart.

Once a football powerhouse on the continent, the Black Stars, who got 611 points, have now been overtaken by less-fancied football nations, including DR Cong (617 points) and Burkina Faso, who got 638 points.

Coach Grant is expected to name his 23-man squad for next year’s Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) in Gabon and the latest ranking must not affect his charges who are chasing their fifth continental title since 1982.

Ghana was ranked eighth on the continent by the governing body last month but lost that spot to Nigeria who failed to qualify for the AFCON but are on track to making it to the mundial in Russia in 2018.

Senegal occupy the top spot now with 755 points followed by Cote d’Ivoire with 746 points, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Congo DR, Burkina Faso Nigeria, Ghana and Morocco in that order.