NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 20 – The 1-0 win away to DR Congo on October 5 has seen national football team Harambee Stars rise six places in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday to occupy position 85 in the world.
Kenya is now the second best East African Country, 13 places behind Uganda who have however dropped seven places.
Stars will play another friendly against Liberia on the next FIFA friendly week on November 13 in Nairobi, the West Africans currently placed 104th after dropping one place.
“We are very pleased with how much the team is progressing. We now play more friendly matches and we can actually go away from home and get a win. This is what we want to do, play more friendly matches, give this team more exposure as we aim to be better,” Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa told Capital Sport in a previous interview.
Apart from the Togo friendly match, FKF is organizing another friendly match for the local based players on October 29 in Nairobi, though the same is yet to be confirmed.
“We are looking at CECAFA in December and of course we want to take the trophy again after we did so when we played last at home in 2013. These friendly games will help us become better, the synergy of the players will be improved as well,” assistant coach Musa Otieno offered.
Meanwhile, Ivory Coast and Senegal have climbed up as the two best placed African countries after moving three and seven places respectively to 31st and 32nd. Algeria retains third spot after remaining 35th.
Despite losing to Kenya, DR Congo have risen two places after their 4-0 thrashing of Libya and are now placed 49th.
Neighbours Tanzania have dropped 12 places and are now 144th. Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia who have rarely had FIFA matches are ranked in the bottom three.
Worldwide, Germany and Brazil have climbed into the top three after moving one place up each. Argentina remains the best placed team in the world.