The Warriors have slumped to its worst Fifa World Ranking in six years after dropping one place to 122nd on the latest standings following a dismal show at the Afcon finals in Cameroon last month.
Zimbabwe’s senior national men’a football team lost 1–0 to eventual champions Senegal before succumbing to a shock 2–1 defeat to Malawi to become the first participating nation bow out of the premier African football competition.
However, the Norman Mapeza coached side finished the tournament on a high beating Guinea 2 – 1 in the final Group B game but it was not enough to push the team up the rankings.
The country achieved its worst ever Fifa ranking in 2016 when it slipped to 131st after dropping a massive 23 places in February of that year.
And since then Zimbabwe’s lowest position had been number 121 in the world achieved in December 2021.
One has to go back to 2014 to see the last time that the Warriors occupied a place in the top 100 when they climbed up to 90th.
Neighbours Malawi, who reached the knockout stages for the first time at Afcon were one of the biggest movers on their latest Fifa rankings after moving 10 places up the ladder to 119.
After a fairy tale Afcon competition where they reached the quarterfinals, Gambia made the biggest jump of all this month gaining 25 place to 125 while Equatorial Guinea who also reached the last eight at the tournament, climbed 15 places and are now in the Top 100.
Gabon moved seven places up to 82nd while Mali stormed into the top 50 at 48
Newly crowned African Champions Senegal have climbed to 18th place which is their highest ever position.