Flames move 3 steps down on FIFA rankings
The Malawi national football team – the Flames – have dropped three steps down from 115 to 118 on the latest Cocacola World FIFA rankings, barely three weeks before it begins its 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers.
Malawi is presently on position 30 on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) list.
Nyasa Times has learnt that the Flames maintained position in May after moving eight steps up in April this year.
“This was just after the team managed to beat Uganda 1-0 in the Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers,” explains FIFA.
It said apart from the improved and dwindling performance by other teams which could have contributed to Malawi’s drop, the Flames in June also lost 2-0 in a FIFA international friendly match against Tanzania.
Mozambique, the Flames’ opponent in the World Cup Qualifiers set for September 7, are ranked 113 in the world and 28 on the CAF list.
They will play at the Orlando Stadium in South Africa after CAF banned Malawi’s home ground the Bingu National Stadium as not up to standards.
According to information available on the FIFA website, Flames’ ranking is 103 with the lost ranking being 138 and the highest 53.
On world rankings, the website says Belgium maintains first position while Brazil is second.
France is on position three while England and Italy are on positions four and five respectively.
