WOMEN'S FIFA/COCA COLA RANKING,WHERE DO YOU RANK ?

Many have asked questions about the relevance of the FIFA   women's world rankings,some have actually lost faith in the ranking and others don't care about its existence  at all.For the past fear years the women's rankings where Africa is concerned, has been stagnant,defeating the purpose for which the rankings were instituted.

 

African nations have seen little or no movement on the ladder which has gone to fuel the beliefs of the naysayers that women's soccer on the continent of Africa is going nowhere,considering the fact that the likes of Ghana and Nigeria have been glued to their ranks for literally eons and have seen no improvement in their fortunes at the world stage but for Nigeria beating Canada at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.

To date,the senior women's national teams of  Nigeria and Ghana who were once power houses have seen their fortunes dwindling where as their youth teams flourish.-strangely enough the senior national teams have the youth teams as feeder grounds with both under the same football association.Meanwhile,the lesser known countries in African women's soccer, are gradually carving a niche for themselves as they climb up the ranks on the continent and in the world,for it is no fluke to see South Africa and Cameroon book their places at the upcoming Summer Olympics,London 2012. Who thought Cameroon will be the second best women's team in Africa, but yes,they are through sweat and tears.

 

Whiles some football association's have decided to close both eyes to the development of their women's soccer programs others have embraced the women's game and so have thrown their weight behind the women's game by providing financial and logistic support to ensure its success both domestically and internationally.However the most disappointing effect some FA's have on the women's game is those who have chosen to treat the women's game as a recreational venture and so will throw in some "crumbs" which fall of the table of the men's soccer programs in an attempt at  helping the women's sport. Yet, these are the ones who will complain bitterly about the stunted growth of  their country's women soccer. 

The future of soccer is feminine as FIFA president Sepp Blatter rightfully said. The question is why women's soccer is still an international afterthought on the continent of Africa ? Women play the game as well as men and should a quarter of the attention given men be given the women's game,the sky is the limit !

The FIFA rankings are a motivation for all nations  whose women play the beautiful game to reach for the very top. There was a time when both men and women national teams fought to play at the world cup and the women got there first-ask Ghana.This means when given a level playing field,there is no telling the heights women's soccer in Africa can reach.

It is time for the sleeping giants to wake up and to the giant killers,more grease to your elbows. Let's see a few more rise up the ranking ladder,an African country in the top 10 will be wonderful wouldn't it ?

 

FIFA/Coca Cola Women's World Ranking.Last Updated 01 Jun 2012,Next Release 17 Aug 2012

	Rnk	Zon. Rnk	Team	Pts	+/- Pos
	27	1	Nigeria	1686	0
	50	2	Cameroon	1470	2
	51	3	Ghana	1462	0
	61	4	South Africa	1377	4
	63	5	Equatorial Guinea	1371	3
	67	6	Côte d'Ivoire	1342	4
	70	7	Morocco	1331	3
	73	8	Tunisia	1325	4
	74	9	Algeria	1320	4
	81	10	Senegal	1295	0
	83	11	Egypt	1289	3
	90	12	Mali	1204	5
	96	13	Zimbabwe	1187	6
	102	14	Ethiopia	1151	5
	104	15	Angola	1134	5
	106	16	Congo DR	1113	4
	114	17	Guinea	1063	5
	115	18	Namibia	1017	5
	120	19	Tanzania	944	5
	122	20	Zambia	942	4
	127	21	Mozambique	874	5
	128	22	Malawi	840	5
	129	23	Botswana	708	5
	130	24	Congo	1238	0
	130	25	Benin	1187	0
	130	26	Sierra Leone	1132	0
	130	27	Eritrea	1060	0
	130	28	Gabon	1031	0
	130	29	Burkina Faso	1003	0
	130	30	Guinea-Bissau	927	0
	130	31	Kenya	879	0
	130	32	Swaziland	863	0
	130	33	Comoros	534	0
	130	34	Uganda	965	0
	130	35	Liberia	877	0
	130	36	Lesotho	858	0			Click here for full rankings