By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)
Sierra Leone national men’s team, the Leone Stars has gained five places up, rising from 129th to 124th in the latest International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) rankings for national football teams in April 2025.
The latest ranking reflects some changes in the standings of African national teams, influenced primarily by their performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March and the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.
In March, Sierra Leone attained a prominent 3-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau, though they later lost 1-0 to a strong Egyptian side in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. These games placed Sierra Leone 34th in Africa and 124th in the world.
Meanwhile, Morocco retained its position as Africa’s top-ranked team and climbed two places globally to 12th, improving from 14th in the previous ranking.
Senegal remained Africa’s second-ranked team despite dropping two places in the global rankings to 19th. Ivory Coast meanwhile, made the most significant rise, moving up five places from 46th to 41st globally.