By: Lloyd M’bwana
The country’s national football teams, the Flames have started the New Year on a good note after rising up three places on the latest Fifa/Coca-Cola world ranking for January, 2016.
According to the ranking released on Thursday, January 7, the Flames are now on 106th from 109 in December 2015 after were dropped by 12 places from previous rankings. The January rankings for the Flames are despite its inactiveness for good part of December.
In Africa, the team is position 30 out of the 52 nations and it seats above notable Cosafa region competitors including Zimbabwe (31), Mozambique (32) and Tanzania (39) while teams above the Flames include Angola and Rwanda with the biggest climber, Uganda’s Crane who are now
on position 12 in Africa and 62nd in the world.
Zambia’s Chipolopolo are up six places and overtaken South Africa (who are second) as the best team in the Cosafa region followed by Botswana and Angola while the Flames are on fifth position.
Ivory Coast is the number on team in Africa and 19 position in the world followed by Algeria (28 in the world) then Ghana (33 in the world) while Belgium remains number team in the world followed by Argentina (2) then Spain (3).
Last year, the Flames were booted out on quarter-final of 2015 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup held in Ethiopia after losing 2-0 to Uganda. The Flames’ next assignment is in Guinea on March 26 in the second round of 2017 African Cup on Nations at 26th September Stadium in Conakry.
Malawi national team’s ever highest Fifa ranking attained was at 67th in December, 1993 and the worst position being 138 in December 2007 and March 2008.
