Egypt climb seven positions in FIFA world rankings

Eslam Omar , Thursday 9 Apr 2015

First game in four months raises the Pharaohs seven positions in the FIFA global rankings

File Photo: Egypt players look on after Tunisia's Fakhreddine Ben Youssef scored during their Africa Cup of Nations group G qualifying soccer match in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014 (Photo: AP)

Egypt climbed seven positions to 51 in the FIFA global football rankings for April.

The Pharaohs played their first game since November on 26 March, defeating Equatorial Guinea 2-0 in a friendly.

They were out of action since they failed to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations, under former coach Shawky Gharib.

The seven-time African Champions have failed to reach Africa's showpiece three times in a row, the first time it has missed at least two consecutive tournaments since failing to qualify for the 1965 and 1968 CAN.

They were drawn in Group G of the qualifiers for the 2017 tournament alongside Nigeria, Chad and Tanzania. Egypt made it into the world's top ten when they won three successive African Cup of Nations trophies, in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

The Egyptian FA appointed Hector Cuper as the new boss of the Egyptian football national team ahead of 2017 African Cup qualifiers as well as the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Egypt last reached the World Cup in 1990. They will start the 2017 African Cup qualifiers in June then the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in October.

Algeria slid three positions to 21but they are still the leading African nation, while African Cup of Nations winner Ivory Coast are still second, ahead of Ghana and Tunisia.

Belgium rose to three, its highest-ever spot in the FIFA monthly rankings, which are still led by World Cup winner Germany.

Argentina is second and Belgium traded places with Colombia in fourth.

Iraq jumped eleven places to be the fifth-ranked Arab county at 97 in the world.

FIFA world ranking (February position in parentheses):

1. Germany (1)

2. Argentina (2)

3. Belgium (4)

4. Colombia (3)

5. Brazil (6)

6. Netherlands (5)

7. Portugal (7)

8. Uruguay (9)