The Ghana Black Stars have moved a rank higher in the latest FIFA ranking. This comes after their recent performances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The team have climbed from 76th to 75th. The Black Stars, after two matches with Chad and Mali, respectively, still sit atop Group 1 with 19 points, despite drawing with Chad on September 4 at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena.
However, they had a win in their clash with Mali. Black Stars led by a goal, securing for themselves three (3) extra points and a point from Chad’s draw.
Despite the global improvement, their standing in Africa remains unchanged, with the four-time African champions still ranked 14th on the continent.
In July, Ghana’s Black Stars fell about six places in FIFA’s rankings at the time.
This was after their loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw with Niger during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in September during the international break.
In the ranking released on July 10, Ghana ranked 76th in the FIFA World Rankings. This leaves the former African giant out of the top 10 national teams as they continue the push to rejoin the continent’s elite.
According to the July ranking, Argentina still held its spot as number one, followed by Spain, France, and then England, with Brazil taking the fifth spot.
In Africa, Morocco sat on top with its 12th position on the global level with 1,698.72 points. Senegal also moved a spot up from its 19th position last year. Egypt dropped to 34 on the global scale but remained 3rd in Africa despite its slight dip from the 32nd position, which was caused by a quiet international window with no matches played since March.
Meanwhile, other teams gained points through qualifiers and friendlies, allowing them to climb higher in the rankings.
Algeria (36th), Nigeria (44th) and the Ivory Coast (45th) follow closely, despite the latter’s recent AFCON success.
Tunisia (49th), Cameroon (51st), Mali (54th) and South Africa (57th) round out the African top ten, with Ghana sitting just outside the group.
Ghana played in May when they played in the Unity Cup in London, facing their long-standing rivals, Nigeria.
They lost 1–2 to the Super Eagles but ended with a resounding 4–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the third-place play-off.
Coach Otto Addo blamed their defeat to Nigeria on a lack of chemistry among players who he claims hadn’t played together often.
Some fans also blamed our underperformance in the cup on the absence of key players like Kudus, Semenyo, and Partey due to club commitments and minor injuries.
Meanwhile, Black Stars head coach Otto Addo admitted that Ghana’s performance was below par following the squad’s draw with Chad in yesterday’s clash at N’Djamena.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, the head coach slammed his side for their wastefulness despite dominating play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. According to him, the team wasted opportunities they got from their several dead-ball situations.
“I can’t say we played excellently, or we played well, because it was a draw. The result is everything; we had a lot of corners, we did nothing out of that…We had a lot of shots, goal attempts, we had a lot of ball possession, and normally we have to win this game. This, in the end, surely, is not good enough, and we have to improve, especially on our execution,” Otto Addo said.
He blamed the poor condition of the pitch in N’Djamena for slowing down Ghana’s tempo and limiting their ability to break down Chad’s defence.
“It’s very difficult to play on this terrain when it’s not watered. We can’t play fast, so it’s a disadvantage for us,” he continued.
He then went on to applaud Chad for their defensive effort and late equaliser, which earned them their late goal.
Ghana appeared on course for another victory in Group I when Jordan Ayew put them ahead in the 17th minute. But the Chadians struck late, with Celestine Ecua equalising in the 88th minute to frustrate the four-time African champions in N’Djamena.
He expressed disappointment that the Black Stars will have little time to regroup as they prepare to host Mali in a crucial Matchday 8 encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT.
Despite their poor play, they saw victory against Mali, after which the coach warned the squad against getting complacent but stressed the need for focus and hard work.
However, Otto Addo has issued a warning to both fans and players not to be complacent, citing the need to respect each opponent.
“Everybody was talking before the Chad game that we had already won. It’s dangerous. We are not at the World Cup yet,” Addo said after the game.“We have a lot of work to do, and every opponent must be respected,” he added.
Speaking during a post-match conference at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 8, he highlighted that some players were visibly nervous due to being newbies or debutants in the senior team; however, he lauded their ability to swiftly blend in after he first half. The former Dortmund coach described the first half of the match as a “deserved draw”.
“Yeah, some problems, I think, yeah, you could see that we have a young squad and players who haven’t been playing often for the national team so far, and we were a little bit nervous here and there, but after 50 minutes I think we got into the game. The game was even, but with a little bit of upper chances for us, but it was a, I think, yeah, it was a deserved draw to halftime, and then we, we increased the pressure early in the second half, we managed to score out of a set piece.”
He went on to applaud Antoine Smeneyyo for his relentless speed, which held the squad together against their opponents despite the pressure from Mali in the last minutes of the game.
He said, “He fought until he couldn’t run anymore… I was very satisfied with his performance and with his runs, especially.”
Addo emphasised the intensity of the final stages, saying, “It stayed really, really hot till the last minute and Mali was putting pressure on us, but not really creating chances—just high balls and long shots.” He credited the defence for their resilience and fight, expressing satisfaction with how they held firm under pressure.
He also touched on Ghana’s decision-making in the final third, urging his players to be more direct: “Sometimes you don’t need the perfect solution—just rip the ball in. Even if it’s one against three, something can happen.”
With just two games left, Ghana needs only one more win to confirm their place at next year’s tournament. However, Addo cautioned against complacency despite the team’s progress.
