● Registration Opens: Join the 2026 BECE Home Mock to Secure Grade 1s JOIN NOW ×

black stars

FIFA Ranking: Black Stars Drop To 67th, Now Ranked 14th In Africa

by
FIFA Ranking: Black Stars Drop To 67th, Now Ranked 14th In Africa

FIFA has released the 2024 Rankings. Black Stars of Ghana dropped to 67th in the world and currently ranks 14th In Africa. Following a disappointing performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Ghana has seen a decline in their FIFA World Ranking, dropping six places.

According to the latest rankings released by FIFA on Thursday, February 15, 2024, Ghana now sits at 67th globally and occupies the 14th position in Africa. This places them behind nations such as South Africa and Mali.

The decline can be attributed to the Black Stars’ underwhelming performance at the AFCON, where they failed to advance from their group, which included Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.

READ ALSO: Kylian Mbappe To Real Madrid Hits Stumbling Block

Ghana’s inability to secure a victory in any of their group matches, coupled with losses to Cape Verde and draws against Egypt and Mozambique, led to the dismissal of head coach Chris Hughton.

Despite their early exit from the AFCON, Morocco maintains its position at the top of the African rankings, followed by Senegal, Nigeria, Egypt, and Ivory Coast.

In the global rankings, Argentina leads as the world champions, with France, England, Belgium, and Brazil completing the top five.

See the top 10 teams in Africa, based on FIFA’s latest world rankings below:

  1. Morocco
  2. Senegal
  3. Nigeria
  4. Egypt
  5. Ivory Coast
  6. Tunisia
  7. Algeria
  8. Mali
  9. Cameroon
  10. South Africa

Click here to see the full list

The four-time champions were eliminated in the group stage, failing to secure a single victory at the tournament.

The team’s struggles were evident as they lost 2-1 to Cape Verde in their opening match and managed only draws against Egypt and Mozambique, earning a mere two points that proved insufficient for advancement to the knockout stage.

In the continental rankings, Ghana also slipped from 11th to 14th, lagging behind South Africa, DR Congo, and Cape Verde.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast, ranked eighth previously, climbed to fifth after clinching the AFCON title, while Nigeria moved to third from sixth after finishing as runners-up. Despite exiting in the round of 16, Morocco and Senegal maintained their top two positions in Africa. However, Tunisia dropped from third to sixth, and Algeria occupied the seventh spot, with Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa completing the top 10.

The Black Stars’ early exit from the AFCON triggered discontent among football enthusiasts, leading to a demonstration by fans and sports journalists who sought to address the perceived decline in Ghanaian football.

The protest advocated for fundamental changes rather than an immediate replacement for ousted coach Chris Hughton. The fans urged the Ghana Football Association to prioritise fixing underlying issues before making any substantive decisions.

The newly released FIFA rankings, following the demonstration, add an extra layer to the ongoing discourse surrounding Ghanaian football, highlighting the urgent need for reform and revival in the national team’s performance

Ghana Spent $3 Million At The Afcon Despite Exiting Early

by
Ghana Spent $3 Million At The Afcon Despite Exiting Early

 

Mustapha Ussif, Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, has disclosed that approximately $3 million was spent at the AFCON 2023 tournament, despite the premature exit of the Black Stars from the competition.

The initial budget allocated for the tournament amounted to $8.5 million, with $5 million being disbursed by the Finance Ministry to cover various expenses including per diems, flight arrangements, medical provisions, equipment procurement, logistical requirements, and hospitality services.

However, owing to the underperformance of the national team, which resulted in their elimination at the group stage, a surplus of $2 million remained unutilized.

Ussif elucidated further during his address to Parliament, stating, “Our estimated budget for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament was $8,506,450.00, encompassing the team’s pre-tournament preparations and the subsequent tournament phases.” Out of this amount, $5,071,840.36 was released by the Ministry of Finance, of which $3,070,067.81 was expended on various aforementioned necessities.

READ ALSO: Kylian Mbappe To Real Madrid Hits Stumbling Block

The surplus of $2,001,772.55, as Ussif clarified, arose post the team’s elimination from the competition.

Moreover, the ministry also received a supplementary contribution of $400,000 from MTN Ghana, which bolstered the government’s financial outlay for the tournament.

Addressing speculations surrounding purported payments of $30,000 to each Black Stars player before their final Group B fixture against Mozambique, Ussif debunked such claims, affirming that no such disbursements were made due to the team’s failure to progress to the subsequent round. This strategic decision aimed to incentivize improved performance from the players, while ensuring prudent management of the country’s resources.

Regrettably, the Black Stars’ campaign in Ivory Coast concluded without a single victory, with defeats against Cape Verde (1-2) and a draw with both Egypt and Mozambique (2-2 each). Their third-place finish with two points proved insufficient to secure advancement in the tournament.

The disclosure sheds light on the financial intricacies and management strategies employed during Ghana’s participation in AFCON 2023, underscoring the challenges and decisions faced amidst sporting endeavors of national significance.

Today in History: Black Stars of Ghana won the AFCON for the second time

by

  Exactly 58 years ago, On 21st, November 1965, the Black Stars of Ghana won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the 2nd time. This was the 5th Edition of African Cup of Nations organized by Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament was held at Tunisia but the Black Stars did their maximum … Read more

Ghana Black Stars to Battle with Madagascar

by

Ghana Black Stars is set to battle with Madagascar in the 2026 FIFA world Qualifies today at Kumasi Baba Yara Sports Stadium. Both teams are in Group I with Mali, Chad, Central African Republic and Comoros. In the qualify round, the winner of the groups get automatic qualifications whiles teams that placed second in the … Read more

Chris Hughton To Be Sacked On Friday?

by
Chris Hughton To Be Sacked On Friday

News coming in indicates that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is likely to sack the coach of the Black Stars, Chris Hughton on Friday, 10 November, 2023.

A meeting scheduled for Friday, November 10, 2023, by the Executive Council aims to address the possible dismissal of Hughton.

According to a report from Asaase Radio, the GFA leadership has expressed its intent to some Executive Council members to vote for the coach’s removal during the meeting. However, the final decision is pending government approval as they are responsible for the technical team’s compensation.

READ ALSO: Top 5 Highest Paid Football Coaches In 2023

Expected on Thursday, November 9, 2023, the government’s decision will play a pivotal role in the fate of Chris Hughton, whose contract as the Black Stars head coach is due to expire in February 2024.

The proposed dismissal of Hughton is mainly due to doubts within the GFA hierarchy about his ability to lead the team to victory in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Madagascar and Comoros.

The uncertainty about the coach’s future has also delayed the announcement of Ghana’s squad for the World Cup Qualifiers, creating anticipation and speculation among football fans.

While the GFA appears unconcerned about the 2023 AFCON, their main worry centers around the prospect of the Black Stars failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup under Hughton’s leadership.

Should the decision to sack Hughton proceed, George Boateng is expected to step in as the interim head coach.

In 2019, Chris Hughton was sacked by Brighton after four-and-a-half years as the club’s manager.

The 60-year-old led the Seagulls to Premier League survival this season, but they stayed up by just two points after winning only 11 points in 18 games in 2019.

Hughton’s assistant Paul Trollope and first-team coach Paul Nevin all left the club.

READ ALSO: Debunking All False Information About BECE Results

Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said: “Chris has done an excellent job, first stabilising our club – reaching the play-offs in his first full season – securing our first ever promotion to the Premier League, and retaining our status in two successive seasons.

October Friendlies: Check Out Black Stars Call-up Squad; Check The List

by
AFCON 2023: Egypt vs Ghana - Black Stars Cursed After Qualifying, Will Lose Again October Friendlies: Check Out Black Stars Call-up Squad; Check The List

The Black Stars Call-up Squad for the 2023 October Friendlies has been announced by the Management of the team. The Black Stars of Ghana have been able to secure thier qualification for the 2024 African Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars are gearing up for a thrilling clash with USA and Mexico in October 2023. The game between Black Stars of Ghana and Mexico is set to take place at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday, October 14.

The Black Stars of Ghana Will have a three (3) rest after the game with Mexico and face against the United States of America on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. All these games are to prepare the players ahead of the competitive tournament ahead of them in 2024.

Players are to take caution to prevent or avoid injuries. Any serious injury to encounter in this friendlies will go a long way to affect the National Team of Black Stars of Ghana. All international games will go on break in October 2023 and this will help all players to attend to the duties demanded from them by their countries. Ghanaians are expecting the best the from the Black Stars of Ghana. They must make the country and its citizens proud in the international front in October Friendlies.

Black Stars Call-Up Squad For October Friendlies against Mexico And the United states of America USA.

1. Lawrence Ati zigi

2. A. Manaf Nurudeen.

3. Richard Ofori.

4. Tariq Lamptey.

5. Alidu Seidu.

6.Joseph Aidoo

7. Nicholas Opoku.

8. Alexander Djiku.

9. Daniel Amartey.

10. A. Fatawu Hamid.

11. Gideon Mensah.

12. Osman Bukari

13. Joseph Painstil

14. Thomas Partey

15. Edmund Addo

16. A. Salis Samed.

17. Elisha Owusu.

18. R. Konigsdorffer.

19 Mohammed Kudus

20. Jordan Ayew.

21.Ernest Nuamah.

22. Inaki Williams.

23.Antoine Semenyo.

It is clear that the captain for the Black Stars of Ghana Andrew Morgan Ayew has been exempted from the Black Stars Call-up squad for the October friendly games/matches.

Video: Agyemang-Badu’s hair shaved on live TV following Black Stars’ exit from the World Cup

by

Agyemang Badu, former Black Stars player’s name has been making waves on the internet following Black Stars’ exit from the World Cup. Even though, he wasn’t part of the squad, his name was still trending on all social media platforms. Before the World Cup, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu said that he was confident the Black Stars would … Read more

Ghana Education News