By Kwame Bediako
The Black Stars of Ghana greeted 2026 with positional steadiness in FIFA’s latest Men’s World Rankings, sticking at 72nd worldwide and 14th in Africa.
This consistency highlights ongoing reconstruction for the quadrennial African titans, priming them for the 2026 World Cup across North America.
Senegal celebrated a breakthrough, bounding seven rungs to a record 12th globally post-AFCON triumph, while Morocco defied their final loss by ascending three to 8th, their zenith and top-10 re-entry since 1998, edging out Belgium, Croatia, and Germany.
Such African surges signal rising continental clout amid Spain’s continued reign, with Argentina, France, and England locked in the top four.
Nigeria anchors Africa’s charge at 26th, ahead of Algeria (28th), Egypt (31st), Ivory Coast (37th), Cameroon (45th), and Tunisia (47th). DR Congo follows at 48th, then Mali (54th), South Africa (60th), Burkina Faso (62nd), and Cape Verde (67th).
Ghana slots in at 72nd among the top 20 Africans, with Guinea (80th), Gabon (86th), Uganda (88th), Angola (89th), Zambia (91st), and Benin (92nd) behind. The rankings capture a dynamic start to the year, blending stability and ambition.
Coach Otto Addo’s squad eyes redemption in a March friendly against Germany in Stuttgart, a pivotal clash to ignite their World Cup path and African resurgence.
