By alusinerehme.wilson@awokonewspaper.sl
Makeni, SIERRA LEONE – Sierra Leone’s national football team, Leone Stars, maintained their position at 126th globally in the most recent FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings for Men’s National Football Teams. Despite a slight increase of 0.36 points, the team remains behind Malawi, sitting at 35th place in Africa.
Previously, Sierra Leone had shown promise by climbing one spot in the rankings with a cumulative total of 1137 points. However, the recent marginal gain failed to propel them further up the ladder both internationally and continentally.
The country trails behind prominent CAF members like Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria, with Morocco leading the African contingent at 13th globally. Sierra Leone’s static ranking is attributed to the lack of friendly matches during the latest FIFA international window, during which 174 matches were played by national senior men’s football teams worldwide.
Having not played a match since their encounters with Morocco and Cote D’Ivoire three months ago, Sierra Leone must now observe global football giants like Argentina, France, and Brazil leading the pack.
Despite the setback, Sierra Leone maintains a position ahead of several other African nations in the Confederation of African Football Zone. Looking ahead to their upcoming match against Djibouti in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the team, under the guidance of former Sierra Leonean International Amidu Karim, is determined to showcase their best performance in future international clashes, aiming for significant progress in the next FIFA/Coca Cola Men’s National Football Team Rankings. ARW/5/4/2024