FIFA ranking: Grant leaves Ghana eight places worse off than he took over

Avram Grant’s two-year stint as Ghana coach ends with the Black Stars ranked the 45th best soccer team in the world, per the latest Fifa World ranking released on Thursday.

The Israeli, who is set to end his tenure at the end of the month, took up the Ghana job in December 2014 when the team was ranked 37th in the world.

Fresh from a fourth finish at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, the Black Stars’ best performance under the former Chelsea manager was a 24th position in March 2015, while their worst place was a 54th position last month.

The February table, nonetheless, sees Ghana climb up by nine places, sandwiched between Sweden (44) and the Czech Republic (46).

On the continental level, the Black Stars have moved up by a place to eighth, ahead of 2015 African champions Cote d’Ivoire (47) and Morocco (48).

New African champions Cameroon, who took a giant 29-place leap to 33rd on the global table, sit third in Africa, behind Egypt (23) and Senegal (31).

Tunisia (36), DR Congo (37), Burkina Faso (38) and Nigeria (41) make up the top seven in that order.

On the global ranking, there was no new movement into the top 10, with Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Chile and Belgium comprising the top five in that order.

France, however, leapfrogged Colombia to 6th on the log, while Portugal, Uruguay and Spain follow in that order in the top 10.

Ghana’s highest ever performance since the ranking’s introduction in August 1993 remains a 14th place in February 2008, while their worst placement was an 89th position in June 2004.

The next edition of the ranking will be published on March 9.