This follows the latest rankings released by the international football controlling body on Thursday. The senior national soccer team is now in the top 100 on the football ladder.
The Warriors have moved to 100 up from 102 but remain 27th in Africa, just behind Nations Cup finalists Niger who are 97th in the world and 26th in Africa.
Zimbabwe’s move up the rankings is thanks to goals from Khama Billiart and captain Denver Mukamba which gave the Warriors the win over the Zebras and also gave new coach, Klause Dieter Pagels, his first victory in charge of the Warriors.
Pagels is hoping to get another friendly match ahead of his team’s World Cup qualifier against Egypt on 23 March.
Since their exit from the 2013 Nations Cup finals, the Warriors have been moving up and down the rankings and at one time slipped to their lowest ever standing of 106 in the world.
Nations Cup quarter finalists, The Elephants of Ivory Coast remain the top team in Africa and have also moved two places up the ladder in the world and are now placed 12th.
The Nations Cup finals has had a strong bearing on the movements in Africa with hosts South Africa moving 25 places up and are now 60th in the world and 10th in Africa.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles, winners of the continental football festival are now fourth in Africa and 30 in the world after moving 22 places up the world football family.
The biggest beneficiaries from the tournament were surprise Nations Cup runners-up, the Stallions of Burkina Faso who climbed 37 places up to ninth on the continent and 55th on the globe.
Ghana are second in Africa while Mali have not moved and remain third on the continent with Algeria who were eliminated in the first round, dropping to fifth. Former Africa champions, Zambia, are seventh.
Djibouti are the lowest ranked team both in the world and one of the worst performers in Africa.
They are 204 in the world and 54th in Africa, just above Somalia.
The top three teams in the world remain unchanged, with Spain at the top followed by German, Argentina and England moving to fourth from sixth following their victory over Brazil.
Post published in: Football