-
The premier ranking - A national
team ranking that consideres both: Historical achievements and a higher
weight for recent successes. It sees Nigeria in front of Cameroon, Egypt,
and Ghana
-
a purely historical ranking
still has Egypt leading, but Nigeria is close
-
In the 6-year-ranking Nigeria
will lose its lead as the Nigerian Nations Cup ban 96/98 will come into
effect
-
In the history of 6-year-rankings
Egypt has been most constantly present but never top since 1963. Since
the late 70's Nigeria and Cameroon have had the biggest and most solid
impact, 6 different teams have yet reached the top: Egypt, Ghana, Zaire,
Algeria, Nigeria, and Cameroon
-
FIFA rankings are no good assessment
for African football: they depends on whom an association can afford to
play against and whom they can afford to play with
in the following three types
of rankings:
1) The premier rankings
- a ranking that considers all past results but puts more weight on them
the more recent they are - this is the most appropriate ranking to identify
the actual status of a football nation
2) The 6-year-rankings
in which all results that are six years or older drop out. This ranking
can give information on the actual form
3) The historical rankings
in which all achievements count the same, regardless when they have taken
place
The premier ranking
of national teams
A provisional all-time big
achievement ranking of the 16 nations based on the results of the past
in African Nations Cup and World Cup, with an considerable emphasizing
weight index on the recency of the event.
| 1. |
Nigeria |
1778 p. |
| 2. |
Cameroon |
1500 p. |
| 3. |
Egypt |
1266 p. |
| 4. |
Ghana |
1054 p. |
| 5. |
Morocco |
976 p. |
| 6. |
Algeria |
896 p. |
| 7. |
Côte d'Ivoire |
714 p. |
| 8. |
Zambia |
694 p. |
| 9. |
Tunisia |
624 p. |
| 10. |
South Africa |
614 p. |
| 11. |
DR Congo* |
592 p. |
| 12. |
Sudan |
248 p. |
| 13. |
Congo** |
212 p. |
| 14. |
Mali |
200 p. |
| 15. |
Ethiopia |
180 p. |
| 16. |
Uganda |
160 p. |
| 17. |
Senegal |
128 p. |
| 18. |
Guinea |
120 p. |
| 19. |
Libya |
108 p. |
| 20. |
Burkina Faso |
52 p. |
*includes the results for the
same country as 'Zaire', 'Congo-Kinshasa'
**Congo-Brazzaville
in bold: qualified
for Ghana/Nigeria 2000
remarks:
Nigeria tops this list because
of the increasing weight put on events the more closer they are,
Cameroon is second because of World Cup achievements (4 participations,
quarter-final 1990). For a table after the pure historical achievements,
unregarding how far away they have been, see below.
The table above results
from absolute successes, achievements in top placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd,
4th.). A table with relative successes (points), minor successes (quarter
finals reach etc.) and one in addition of club achievements (would boost
Tunisia up) and other relevant competitions is planned, too.
Anyway no table can achieve
to reflect without deceiving the strength of teams competing in various
competitions. Think of South Africa that has been banned, think of Algeria
who have achieved all their points with a single player generation and
might be considered much weaker today as for example Côte d'Ivoire
who have been playing constantly on a good level for decades while not
having produced such an exceptional generation, - yet.
With a victory, Cameroon
could retake the lead, depending on Nigerias finish. Cameroon had taken
over from Egypt in 1990 and had lost the lead again to Nigeria in the Eagles
big success year 1994. Before it head been a two horse race: From 1968
until 1974 and from 1978 until 1986 Ghana had been in the pole position
of this table. Before and in between it had been Egypt.
But for the time
series another statistics is more valuable: |
