Harambee Stars players and members of the technical bench celebrate winning 2017 CECAFA title. The team has improved in the latest FIFA rankings. [Photo/footballkenya.org]National Soccer Team Harambee Stars has moved up five places in the December 2017 Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World rankings released on December 21.
According to Fifa.com, the Kenya national football team is now ranked 106 in the world, from position 111 of last month.
In Africa, Kenya is ranked at position 26 way behind perennial rivals and neighbors Uganda who are ranked 16th in Africa and 75 in the world.
Harambee Stars’ surge in the rankings comes less than a week after the team defeated Zanzibar 3-2 via post match penalties to win the 2017 edition of Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Senior Challenge Cup title.
Posta Rangers goal keeper Patrick Matasi saved three spot kicks to give Harambee Stars the title in a tense final played at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Sunday. It is the 7th CECAFA title for Harambee Stars.
Next year, Kenya is expected to mount a successful 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. The team is in the same qualification group with Ghana, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.
Senegal, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) occupy the top five positions in Africa in the latest FIFA ranking, while world champions Germany, FIFA confederations champions Brazil, EURO champions Portugal, Argentina and Belgium occupy the five top spots in the world.