Zambia’s Men’s National Team, led by coach Avram Grant, has dropped one place to 93rd in the world in the latest FIFA Men’s Coca-Cola Rankings released on Thursday, September 19th, 2024.
Despite recording their first win of the year earlier this month, the Chipolopolo Boys could not avoid a further slide in the global standings.
In a hard-fought Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at home, Zambia secured a 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone. This win marked their first triumph in 2024 but was not enough to prevent their global ranking drop.
On the African continent, Zambia also slipped to 20th position in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) rankings.
Argentina continues to hold the top spot in the world rankings, while Morocco remains Africa’s highest-ranked team, sitting in 14th place globally.
Zambia’s challenging year has seen the team play 13 matches, managing just one win under Grant. Their other victory came during a Three Nations Tournament in Malawi, where the Chipolopolo Boys defeated Malawi 2-1 to finish third, though this result occurred in Grant’s absence.
In total, the team has endured eight defeats and three draws in 2024, underlining the difficulties they’ve faced.
The latest FIFA rankings highlight the urgent need for Zambia to improve as they prepare for back-to-back AFCON qualifier matches against Chad next month.
With a home and away series on the horizon, the Chipolopolo Boys will be aiming to turn their fortunes around and climb back up the rankings when they host CHAD next month.
READ MORE: Renowned agent explains why Zambian players struggle after moving abroad
