Top 10 African National Football Teams

Africa is known for its unwavering love for football despite never winning the FIFA world cup. The continent takes pride in its many popular teams that have on several occasions produced players for international teams  

They have a huge following given the player’s excellent footwork and performance and in FIFA’s ranking we take a closer look at Africa’s top 10 football teams;

• NIGERIA

Nigeria’s football team is quite talented and is ranked 48th in the world ranking with 618 points.

It is ranked at position 9 in the African list which is startling as they seem to be top in their game. Nigeria has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times, in 1980, 1994, and most recent, in 2013.

Nigeria beat Spain in 1998’s World Cup in the opening match earning itself huge recognition. In 1994, Nigeria garnered massive success when they were ranked fourth in FIFA rankings.

The football team houses great names in the field such as Victor Moses and Wilfred Ndidi amongst other big wings.

• SENEGAL

Senegal is ranked at position 24 with 838 points as per the FIFA ranking despite the team’s mother country is a small country in Western Africa.

Senegal hit the limelight in 2002, despite having been established in the ’60s, when it beat the then reigning champions, France, in the World cup group stage.

The team houses huge talents such as Sadio Mane and Kelta Balde.

• TUNISIA

Tunisia is famous for its rich football culture and is ranked at positions 21 with 910 points on the FIFA ranking which makes them the highest-ranked African football team currently.

The team whose mother country is considerably small hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004 and won the tournament.

The team’s star player is Wahbi Khazri, who also played amongst other players in the 2018 World Cup though they did not succeed to go past the group stage.

• EGYPT

Egypt is ranked at position 45 in the World FIFA ranking with 649 points and has recorded 23 appearances in the Africa cup of Nations with seven wins. The team’s most recent win was in 2010, where it beat Ghana 1–0.

The team houses great talents such as Mohamed Saleh, who is one of Liverpool’s most notable players. Egypt has appeared thrice in World Cup and has qualified for the 2018 World Cup after 28 years of waiting which be its third appearance overall.

• CONGO DR

Congo DR is ranked third in Africa with 706 Points and stands at position 38 in the overall world FIFA ranking.

Congo’s first appearance at the World Cup was in 1974 and it did not go as well as they were marked one of the weakest performances in World Cup’s history. They lost to all the three of their group opponents which included a 9–0 loss to Yugoslavia.

Congo DR’s defeat in 1974 still remains one of the biggest in World Cup’s history. The team’s performance in the Africa Cup of Nations is not as embarrassing as their World Cup record. Congo DR has won two times in 1968 and 1974, while their greatest result since the 1976 victory was the third place in 1998.

Congo DR’s best players include Cedric Bekambu and Benik Afobe among others.

• MOROCCO

Morocco was the first ever African team to get past the group stage during the 1986 World Cup. The group stage was tough as it included Portugal, England and Poland. It is ranked fourth amongst African nations and position 41 in the World with 686 points

Morocco, unfortunately, lost to West Germany and was hence kicked out. The team has since never made it out of the group stage in any other World Cup.

The team houses great talent with but Achraf Hakimi stands out most. He currently plays for Real Madrid. Morocco was the runners-up in 2004 in the African Cup of Nations and even qualified for the 2018 World Cup for the first time in two decades.

• BURKINA FASO

Burkina Faso is at the 8th position in Africa and position 52 in the World with 604 points.

Burkina Faso performed impressively at position four in the 1998 tournament edition of the Africa Cup of Nations which they hosted.

Most of the team’s player’s play abroad and the captain Moumouni Dagano is widely respected and recognized.

• CAMEROON

At position 49 in the World with 614 points, its tiny country comes right beneath Nigeria.

Cameroon is a well-respected team in Africa and deservingly so since it has won the Africa Cup. The team, in 1990, went to the quarter-finals where they, unfortunately, got knocked out by England. Cameroon made history as it marked the first time in the World Cup’s history where an African team reached the quarter-finals.

Cameroon has produced some intriguing players such as the mercurial Roger Milla.

• ALGERIA

Algeria is position nine in Africa and is overall position 66 in world rankings with 474 points.

Algeria is an aggressive opponent of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya.

Algeria qualified to the World Cup for the third time in 2010 after beating Egypt in the qualifiers play-offs. This victory brought about a long rivalry between the teams which has even resulted in several incidents of violence amongst fans. Egypt later defeated Algeria 4–0 in a match that saw the rivalry between the two deepen.

• COTE D’IVOIRE

Cote d’Ivoire won the Africa Cup of Nation twice, in 1992, and most recently in 2015. It is ranked at position 68 in the World and is considered the giant in African football.

In the 2015 win, Cote d’Ivoire beat Ghana after a 120 minutes game that ended in penalties. Cote d’Ivoire has managed to qualify for the World Cup thrice though they never really made it past the group stages.

Cote D’ Ivoire has produced some great players who now play for bigger European teams. The players include Yaya Touré, Emmanuel Eboué, Wilfried Bony, Seydou Doumbia, and the legendary Didier Drogba.

Didier Drogba has been playing since 2002 and is currently playing for the American team Phoenix Rising taking pride in 99 caps and 63 goals to his credit.