Football: Zambia climb in FIFA rankings

ZURICH: Zambia have shot up 28 places in the Fifa rankings, breaking into the top-50 for the first time in eleven years after winning the African Nations Cup. The Copper Bullets moved into 43rd spot, their highest position since February 2001, after beating Ivory Coast on penalties in the final. Despite losing the decider, Ivory Coast climbed three places to 15th and are the continent’s highest-placed team. Meanwhile, Spain stayed top of the rankings while Germany moved up to second and Netherlands dropped to third even though neither side played a game last month. The changes were ‘due to the devaluation of matches from previous years’, according to a Fifa statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2012.