Former Black Stars striker Augustine Arhinful has raised doubts about the accuracy of FIFA rankings in reflecting the true form of national teams, particularly in light of Ghana’s recent descent in the latest update released on Thursday, April 4, 2024.
The four-time African champions have experienced a persistent decline in the rankings, currently occupying the 68th position globally, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) surpassing them in the standings.
The decline of the Black Stars in the recent release followed uninspiring performances in the March international friendlies. They lost 2-1 to Nigeria and drew 2-2 to Uganda.
However, Arhinful believes attention must rather be given to how a team develops albeit the outcome of their results in matches which rather determines how FIFA ranks nations.
“The ranking really may be an issue for us. I think we need to concentrate on how we build the team going forward, which is most important,” Arhinful stated as quoted by Citi Sports underscoring the significance of team development.
Arhinful pointed to instances of teams ranked highly in FIFA rankings but faltering at major tournaments, suggesting that rankings can sometimes be misleading.
- Black Stars slip to 68th in latest FIFA Rankings
- I have to be available every time – Thomas Partey on possible contract extension
“It could also make it complacent, because 2006, before the World Cup, I think Czech Republic were number two then. But we went into the World Cup and we beat them, and they didn’t even qualify from the group stage.”
“So the ranking, yes, it could be good, but the focus should be how the team is going forward.”
As Ghana prepares for upcoming matches against Mali and the Central African Republic in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers slated for June, Arhinful stressed the importance of the current technical team prioritising the development of a strong squad.
In contrast, Nigeria, the finalist in the Africa Cup of Nations, has risen to the 30th position globally, securing a position among Africa’s top three teams, closely trailing behind Senegal and Morocco.
At the summit of the global standings, Argentina holds the top spot as reigning world champions, followed by France and Belgium in second and third place, respectively.