Ghana’s Black Stars have suffered another significant setback on the international football stage, falling five places to 70th in the latest FIFA World Ranking following a disappointing opening to their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The four time African champions have dropped from their previous position of 65th after losing 25.73 ranking points, with their poor performances in the opening matches of the continental qualifiers contributing substantially to the latest decline.
The new ranking, released on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, places Ghana 14th among African nations, further underlining the team’s recent struggles on the international stage.
The latest FIFA classification was determined from the results of 338 men’s international matches played since the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19. Matches from several major competitions, including the UEFA Nations League, the Concacaf Nations League and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, were incorporated into the calculation.
Ghana’s latest slide has been particularly influenced by the results recorded in their opening two AFCON qualifying fixtures, both of which ended in defeat.
The Black Stars began their campaign with a 2 nil loss to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké, before suffering an even more damaging 4 2 defeat to The Gambia in Accra. The consecutive setbacks have left Ghana without a single point from their first two matches and placed considerable pressure on the team to revive its qualification prospects when the competition resumes.
The defeat to The Gambia was particularly damaging because Ghana had established a two goal advantage before conceding four times, surrendering the lead and ultimately leaving the home supporters disappointed.
The difficult beginning to the campaign also formed part of the circumstances surrounding the departure of Carlos Queiroz as head coach of the Black Stars. The Portuguese tactician left his position by mutual agreement after recording only one victory in seven matches during his tenure.
Ghana’s latest decline in the FIFA rankings adds to a troubling period for the national team, which has experienced a series of disappointing results in recent international competitions. The Black Stars were also unable to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, ending their long standing record of participation in the tournament and intensifying concerns about the direction of the national team.
The team will have an opportunity to begin repairing its fortunes when the AFCON qualifiers resume in November, with Ghana scheduled to face Somalia in successive encounters.
Those two fixtures could provide the Black Stars with an important opportunity to secure maximum points, restore confidence and improve their position in both their qualifying group and the FIFA rankings.
Somalia currently occupy 200th position in the world rankings, meaning Ghana enter the forthcoming encounters as the higher ranked side. However, the Black Stars will need to translate that statistical advantage into performances and results on the pitch if they are to reverse their recent decline.
At the summit of the African rankings, Morocco remain the continent’s highest ranked national team, occupying seventh position globally. Senegal follow in 18th place, while Côte d’Ivoire have moved into 29th position. Nigeria, meanwhile, have slipped four places to 30th in the world.
For Ghana, the immediate objective is now clear. The Black Stars must recover from their difficult opening to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, secure positive results against Somalia and begin rebuilding the confidence that has been weakened by successive setbacks.
The November fixtures will therefore carry significance beyond the qualification table, as the results could also determine whether Ghana begins to reverse its latest decline in the FIFA World Ranking or suffers another fall when the next classification is released.
