Black Stars drop 5 places to 70th in latest FIFA rankings

Black Stars drop five places to 70th in latest FIFA rankingsGhana's senior national team, the Black Stars, has dropped five places to 70th in the latest FIFA World Men’s Ranking following a disappointing start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.

Ghana, who were ranked 65th in the previous FIFA rankings, have now slipped to 70th in the world after losing 25.73 ranking points.

The latest rankings, released on Wednesday, October 7, place the Black Stars 14th among African countries, highlighting the impact of their recent results on the international stage.

The rankings were calculated from 338 men’s international matches played since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19.

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The fixtures included UEFA and Concacaf Nations League matches, as well as qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON, with several results contributing to significant movements in the latest FIFA standings.

Ghana’s decline in the FIFA rankings comes after a disastrous start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The Black Stars opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering another setback at home, losing 4-2 to The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The two defeats have left Ghana without a point from their opening two qualifying matches and in a difficult position in Group C.

The poor run also contributed to the departure of head coach Carlos Queiroz, who left his position by mutual consent after winning just one of his seven matches in charge of the Black Stars.

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The latest FIFA ranking drop is another setback for the four-time African champions, who have endured a difficult period in recent years.

Ghana failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, missing out on the tournament for the first time since 2004.

The Black Stars will now look to use their upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Somalia to revive their campaign.

Ghana is scheduled to face Somalia twice in November, with the East African side currently ranked 200th in the world.

The Black Stars would receive a much-needed boost from six points in the two matches as they strive to recover from their poor start.

Despite their five-place drop globally, Ghana remains 14th in the latest FIFA rankings among African nations.

Morocco continues to lead the continent, with the Atlas Lions ranked seventh in the world.

Senegal is Africa’s second-highest-ranked team at 18th, while Côte d’Ivoire has climbed to 29th.

Nigeria, meanwhile, has dropped four places to 30th in the world.

For Ghana, the immediate focus will be on reversing their poor run of results and climbing both the AFCON qualifying table and FIFA rankings in the coming months.