The Scorpions of The Gambia have shifted three places up in the latest FIFA/Coca Cola world rankings released by world football’s governing body FIFA barely a few days after the just concluded African Cup of Nations.
The February 2012 rankings released on Wednesday has shown the Scorpions standing on 115 in the world. They are ranked 30 in Africa scoring a total of 292 points.
Across Africa, Zambia have climbed to 43rd in the Fifa world rankings after winning the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. It is the first time in 11 years that the team, which shot up 28 places, has made it into the top 50.
Ivory Coast remain Africa’s top team, up three places to 15th, third-placed Mali have climbed 25 spots to 44 while co-hosts Gabon leapt from 91st to 45th.
Fellow co-hosts Equatorial Guinea leapt from 151st to 110th place after surpassing all expectations by reaching the quarter-finals, a run which included beating Senegal.
The Teranga Lions were the biggest fallers, dropping 25 places to 68th spot, after their bitterly disappointing campaign.
Having been absent from the finals, Egypt, the 2010 champions, also plummeted down the rankings - equaling Senegal’s 25-place drop - with the Pharaohs now at their lowest-ever spot since Fifa’s records began.
They now stand 61st - with this month’s rating being the first time Egypt have ever been outside the top 50.
Another team to miss the finals is Nigeria, who have dropped to their lowest ranking since late 2000, with the Super Eagles sitting at the 56th spot.
Spain stayed top of the rankings while Germany moved up to second and the Netherlands dropped to third even though neither side played a game in the last month.
